Evolution
by Shado-chan
Summary: Soul, a Grovyle, has had a rough past, living with the humans. But as she discovers the mystery dungeons, she is sucked into a clamity that is centered around her! Will she ever have any reprive?  Rated T-M for blood and violence
1. Simple, Really

**Yay a new story! I was bored . . . please review this kindly, because some parts really suck. :P**

**Rated T-M for blood, violence, and mild cursing here and there (what, did you not expect that to be in a Pokémon fanfiction? XD)**

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><p>When they found me . . . god, it was so long ago I can hardly remember. It was Hell, lying there, just waiting to die over my burns and wounds. I should've known better than to venture into Steam Cave by myself! I couldn't have made it, I know that now. I'm a Grovyle, and my level wasn't even that high! God, I was ignorant.<p>

Onto the story: I was laid out in a corner, moaning softly. My burns from all the flamethrower attacks were insane enough, but the wounds from smashing into rocks and a Pokémon's body?

Fresh and bleeding. And don't get me started on my empty stomach.

Hell, no excuses.

I should've fainted somewhere on my first couple of days, but it was clear that these wild Pokémon wanted to kill me.

I think it was about a month being in there. I'm pretty sure my heart had almost stopped and a Magmotar was about to finish me off with fire punch, when suddenly, it got blasted back by a water gun attack. A Treecko came into my line of sight and finished it off with drain punch. A few seconds later, a Piplup came into my view. I think it was walking over to me, but the only thing I could process before I blacked out is this: "Those Pokémon saved me."

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><p>I remember waking up on a soft bed made of moss and straw. Surprised, I sit up and immediately feel dizzy, so I lay down again. Slowly moving my head, I observed my surroundings.<p>

To my right, a window. To my left, a wall . . . and food?

I eagerly grab the small bundle, sitting up against the wall behind me and pick through its contents. An apple! And some berries! Yes! I scarf it down without second thought. It's the biggest meal I've had in about a month, so who cares?

When I finished, I faced the hallway in front of me, trying to sort out my thoughts.

How did I get here?

Well . . . I think that Treecko and Piplup brought me here. It seems unlikely, but when the Piplup was walking towards me, I saw that it had a treasure bag. I've heard that every exploration team has a treasure bag.

What is this place?

It seems that I better find out, huh?

I stood up, bracing myself for the dizziness-or pain-that was sure to come. It didn't. I looked around me, shocked. What'd they use? Potions?

I gathered my courage and walked into the hall, my footsteps echoing softly around the corridor. I noticed a closed door at the end of the hall, and two open doors on either side. I didn't want to look in the open ones.

When I reached the door on the far end, I pressed my ear against it to listen. There were voices on the other side, like in a chorus. "Two! Run away and pay! Three! Smiles go for miles!" "Alright, everyone!" A singular voice. "Let's get to work!" "Hooray!" The chorus again.

I heard footsteps going away from the door, as if the group disbanded.

"You there!" The second voice sounded. I flinched, thinking the speaker had found me, but then I heard two pairs of footsteps headed toward the voice. "Yes?" one asked.

"I need you to go to Apple Woods and replenish the larder," the conductor dude ordered. "Our food supply is running low, and Guildmaster Wigglytuff is out of Perfect apples-again!"

I didn't hear the rest, to in awe to speak. Did he just say Wigglytuff . . . ? So that means I'm in Wigglytuff's guild! That is really cool.

Suddenly, I felt the door opening. I jumped up to the top part of the door, hanging on to stay out of sight. Whoa . . . I didn't know I could do that. Who walked through was that treecko and piplup I saw earlier. They're headed back to the room. It's their room? Wow. It was nice of them to let me stay there.

I jumped off the door and landed silently, following them. They were in the room, gathering stuff and sticking it into the Treasure bag I saw earlier. Leaning against the doorframe, I asked, "Where's Apple Woods?"

Both Pokémon jumped slightly when they heard me. The piplup turned around first. "Oh hey!" it greeted. A boy. "We were wondering where you were, so we could ask you if you wanted to come to Apple Woods with us . . . if you were feeling well enough." I considered this for a second. "It depends on what type of Pokémon live there," I replied.

"Oh, just normal grass types like you and Treecko," he answered.

I mentally sighed in relief. "Sure."

He grinned. "Well, c'mon, we're all ready, so let's go!" He walked past me, Treecko following him. I trailed behind Treecko, realizing he hadn't said a word to me at all.

Out the hall and into the room. The floor had grass growing on it. Weird. Looking to my right, I saw another window. Hey . . . aren't we underground? Oh wait, we're on a mountain.

Duh.

Piplup and Treecko are climbing a ladder to the upper floor, so I follow.

The upper floor is relatively empty, furniture wise, with the exception of two boards on the wall and a stone rise with a chimecho standing behind it, like a desk. Piplup most likely saw me staring, because he said, "That's Chimecho. She cooks dinner for the apprentices every night and runs the assembly. I'll tell you more later, so hurry up!" Looking back over at them, I saw they had climbed the ladder again. I scrambled to follow them.

We reached the entrance and walked outside. The sunshine slammed in my face, making me blink about five thousand times to get used to it. When my eyes adjusted, I look up. The sky was a bright blue with a couple of wispy clouds, and a cool breeze blew through the area, and by judging the temperature I think it was late September. I took a deep breath, losing myself in a daydream. Hey . . . I never thought I'd see the daylight again! Can you blame me?

"Hurry up!" Piplup yelled, snapping me out of my trance. I took one more breath and followed.

I was somewhat helpful in the dungeon, being a grass-type and all. I mainly used Force Palm, my main offensive non-grass attack, and Protect, which helped a lot. Also, Piplup told me about the assembly. Sometimes, wild Pokémon become impressed with you and want to join your team. If you say yes, they join. If no, they don't. Simple, really.

Soon, we reached the end of the dungeon. There was a huuuuuuuuuge tree in the center of the clearing, hanging with a bunch of perfect apples. We all stared up at it. "Will you two get some?" Piplup finally asked. "I can't reach them . . ."

Treecko and I looked at him. I shrugged. "If you say so. C'mon Treecko." I ran up to it and scaled the trunk in seconds. Treecko soon caught up to me, and we both grabbed as many perfect apples that we could carry and jumped back down.

I gave him a sideways glance. What does he think this is? A race or something?

Treecko's not very fond of me.

I pushed the thought out of my head and dumped the apples back in the treasure bag that Piplup was holding after Treecko. The whole team-including me-turned around and walked out of the dungeon, none of us saying a word.

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><p><strong>'Ello! I hope you liked this chapter, due to this one being relatively old with bits of revision in it.<strong>

**Please review! I accept both praise and criticism from anyone!**

**:S:**

**Ps: The next chapter won't be nearly as long . . . sorry!**


	2. A Little Nightly Dream

We got back to the Guild by nightfall. Wow . . . that mission must've taken a while.

I stayed outside while Treecko and Piplup went to bed, and then, when they were out of sight, turned around and wandered through Treasure Town.

It was nice, being alone again, staying outside and watching the few wispy clouds occasionally block out the stars and the moon. I'm not really used to the sky being, like, black. I used to live in the Unova region, and the city lights reflected off the clouds, turning the sky red.

It's a relief now, looking up at the sky and not having to see it painted with blood.

I came to a cliff and stopped. Looking out, I could see the ocean. It stretched out all the way to the horizon, and tiny mountains in the distance behind it. The moonlight glistened on the waves, making them sparkle. I stared at the whole scene, painting a mental picture in my head. Ah, it was beautiful . . . I vowed that I would never forget it.

I took a step back, planning on going back to treasure town, when my foot gave way and I fell into a giant pit! My stomach lurched and I faceplanted onto solid ground. Dazed, I stayed down for a few seconds, then pulled myself up and looked around.

There were stone walls on either side of me that continuously got wider until about eight feet, when it suddenly cut off to reveal a wide open space, with the exception of jagged rocks hanging from the ceiling and on the floor, like a row of teeth. I made a mental note to ask Piplup about it tomorrow.

I walked up to the jagged rocks and looked out, realizing I could see more of the ocean here. Sitting down, I closed my eyes and let the sound of the waves fill my ears, feeling eternally calm.

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><p>I must've dozed off, because the next thing I knew it was lighter outside and the moon was no longer in sight. Vaguely wondering if Treecko and Piplup were up, I stood up and looked behind me, seeing a staircase I hadn't noticed last night. There were patches of light shining on it and when I climbed it, daylight smacked me in the face. Looking up at the sky, the sun's position told me it was around seven in the morning.<p>

Drat! I jumped off the staircase and ran back through Treasure Town to the Guild, ready to start a new day.

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><p><strong>Next chapter will be even shorter . . . just a heads-up.<strong>

**:S:**


	3. Just Another Day

Today, we did multiple missions in Waterfall Cave, which is a water-type dungeon. The first one was rescuing a Slugma from the B4 floor, and the second was defeating an outlaw, Omnamyte.

Once again, we reached the Guild by nightfall, and again, as not being a true member, I did not stay that night. I wandered through Treasure Town again for a while, and then started to make my way back to the cave I found last night.

As I came to the cliff, I looked over the edge and found myself staring at the same scene from last night. Ah . . .

I stepped back a bit. It didn't take me long to slip through the hole again, but my foot found the stairs before I could completely fall. I put my other leg on a step and quietly walked down.

I was in the cave again! I twirled around in a circle and then fell on my back, laughing. How great it felt to be free! No rules, no curfews, no restrictions.

The sound of waves soon lulled me to sleep.

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><p><strong>OHGODI'MFALLING! *faceplants* Yeah, I know this chapter was waaaaay to short! The next chapter will be significantly longer, I swear!<strong>

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	4. So much Happens in so Little Time

This happened every day for about two months. Do a mission; wander Treasure Town; go to the cave—which, by the way, is called Sharpedo Bluff—and sleep. I'm still not an official member of the Guild yet.

Sometime in mid-November, I was visiting Sharpedo Bluff again, when I was roused from my sleep by the sound of voices behind me. Due to me being laid on the ground, I stood up and looked behind me. No one.

Getting the idea that they were on the surface, I climbed the stairs and looked towards Treasure Town. Still no one. Looking towards the cliff, I saw two Pokémon—a treecko and a chimchar-sitting cross-legged beside the edge, facing each other. They didn't look . . . alive, because they were both slightly transparent, and stars glittered around the edges of their bodies.

The treecko seemed agitated. ". . . has to know!" He yelled when I got close enough to hear. The chimchar replied calmly, "Only if she chooses to find out." "What do you mean chooses?" The treecko snapped back. "She knows nothing! You have to tell her!"

The chimchar sighed. "One: If we are to stay a team, Treecko, you must calm down. This is a rare time in which I'm able to control myself. Two: No Pokémon should have to bear a destiny like this at such a young age. I know what it felt like when Grovyle told us about my destiny. I don't want her to go through the same thing."

Treecko glared at the chimchar for a few seconds, and then his gaze saddened and turned skyward. "You're right," he sighed. "With all the problems going on now, it's hard not to rush things to get them done quicker. And I wonder why Chatot hasn't told the Guild yet?"

"Chatot doesn't know," the chimchar whispered. "I told Wigglytuff, but until we know everything, I've ordered him not to tell anyone else." She looked out to sea.

"It's time to go," she murmured, standing. Treecko stood up too and turned around, looking over his shoulder at her. "I'll be waiting for when you come back," he breathed, giving her one sad look before turning his head back again. He started walking off the cliff, but kept going higher and higher into the air like he was walking on an invisible staircase before vanishing into the stars completely. The chimchar nodded once, disappearing.

For a few minutes, I just stood there, not moving an inch. Questions sped through my mind at a million miles an hour and left so quickly I couldn't get a grasp on most. Finally, I summoned the willpower to slow the rate my mind was going and finally understand the thoughts.

_Who were those Pokémon? Are they alive, or just spirits? What did she mean by 'able to control myself'? Who were they talking about? What destiny?_

I got a sickening feeling in my stomach as a new question popped into my head; one that wouldn't go away:

_Were they talking about me?_

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><p>The next night, after all the apprentices (including me) had finished eating dinner, Chatot piped up.<p>

"I have an announcement!" He called over the chatter. Everyone turned to face him. "A good one. We all should know the newest member of Team Legacy by now, but she has never been properly introduced. So! I would like to pronounce her as an official member! Grovyle!" All heads turned to me. "Welcome to the Guild!"

Everyone suddenly started clapping and cheering for me. The sound reverberated off the walls, making it sound from every corner of the room. Giddy and embarrassed, I blushed and hid my face in my hands, silently laughing. This feels so good! I don't deserve this!

I looked up, a huge smile plastered onto my face that I couldn't wipe away. "Thanks, you guys," I said. "I appreciate it."

Eventually, the noise died down and everyone left to go to bed. Chimecho and I gathered the dishes and went to the kitchen to clean them. I help Chimecho with the dishes every night, just so I have something to do. I think to her, it's a big deal, considering on how much she has to do.

After KP duty I walked out of the dining hall, ready to go to Sharpedo Bluff, when suddenly everyone gathered around me and started asking questions all at once!

"Guys!" I yelled. They all immediately stopped talking. "What do you guys want?"

"Well . . ." Diglett started, "we wanted to ask you how you feel about the Guild, now that you're an official trainee! We haven't gotten to know you very well." "Yeah!" Loudered boomed, making me narrow my eyes at him to get him to quiet down. It didn't work. "What do you think of this place?" He gestured to the whole Guild.

"Hmm . . ." I mused. "It's a great place, but I honestly think the schedules are too strict."

"What do you think about us?" Sunflora asked. I laughed. "What do I think about every friend I have?" I countered playfully. "You guys are awesome!"

_That _set them off. Some clapped, some jumped for joy, and Sunflora even squealed and twirled around in delight. I laughed quietly. _Celebrating? What fun this place is!_

Bidoof's voice rose over the rest. "How was your life before you came here?"

Everyone suddenly stopped and stared, their gazes flickering from him to me and back again. Shock, embarrassment, and horror showed on the apprentice's faces.

"Bidoof!" Sunflora hissed. "It might be personal!" Bidoof's face went red and he took a step back. "Gosh, sorry!" he fretted. "I didn't mean-""Oh, it's alright," I interrupted. Everyone stared at me now. "I don't mind sharing my stories!"

Everyone shuffled closer, wanting to hear. I cleared my throat and began.

"Okay. I was born in the Unova region, a place where humans run amok, catching and training Pokémon like us for battling and training and whatever. I never understood their motives. My mother, a Sceptile, always told me to stay away from them, as they had captured my father years before I was born. To her, they were evil creatures that had come to wipe out our species. I took those words to heart, and that led to a rough life. Living in solitude, avoiding trainers and even wild Pokémon that have had any contact with humans, however indirectly, trying to stay hidden. I was always hungry and lonely, and had to endure that for years. Then once, I was caught.

"I was out collecting berries for the midday meal, far away from my mother and I's home, when I heard a scream. Dropping the berries, I ran for the sound, because I knew it was Mother's. It kept getting louder and louder, until it suddenly cut off. Rounding a corner, I found Mother just lying there, a trickle of blood running out of her mouth and her eyes blank and staring. Dead. A Toxicroak was backing up towards this female human. She was completely dressed in black, with black hair, and something else black that covered her eyes. I ran to Mother and hoped she wasn't gone, but it was useless. In tears, I rounded on the Toxicroak and attacked it. Somehow, I knocked it out. The human stared at me for a bit, and then said something like, 'What a feisty one you are! And strong, too. I could get a good price for you.' With that, she threw out a round red-and-white capsule thing and a Ninetails came out of it. I thought I could take it down, so we battled. In the end, I lost, scarred and bloodied and burned. The human grabbed me and chained my hands behind my back. I was taken from my home and sold to a human who tortured me and made me its slave. After about a year, I couldn't stand it anymore and ran away, eventually ending up in a forest area in this region. Finding out about the Mystery Dungeons, I trained every day in some of the lesser ones, trying to get stronger so I could get back at the human who killed Mother.

"Then, when I tried to get through Steam Cave, I utterly failed. Those wild Pokémon wanted to kill me! But, at exactly the best moment, Piplup and Treecko burst in and saved my life. They brought me here . . . so here I am now."

Everybody just stared at me when I finished. Loudered was the first to break the silence. "Oh my ARCEUS!" he boomed so loud everyone covered their ears. I growled silently, wishing he was just a Spinada or something.

"Hey hey!" Corphish piped up. "Is that true?" I nodded.

"But that was just in the past, right?" Chimecho called, making me blink stupidly, not understanding. "We shouldn't dwell on things that happened in the past!" "Chimecho's right," Dugtrio added. "You never know what the future's going to bring, so you shouldn't worry about it!"

I smiled. "Thanks again guys. I now know that I can always count on you guys for support." "YEAH!" Everyone else yelled in unison. Chatot popped in and told everyone it was time for bed, so the group disbanded and left me to go to Sharpedo Bluff.

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><p>It's hard to describe what happened when I got there. Well, past that point actually.<p>

I was just lying on my back, letting the sound of the ocean fill my ears as my thoughts traveled back to last night. Why couldn't I shake the feeling that they were talking about me?

The sound of the waves eventually lulled me into a restless sleep.

I was in a place filled with darkness. No light; no color; just blackness. It was endless. Looking side to side; no one else here but me. Is this oblivion or something?

I'm afraid the first one is slightly more accurate.

An impulse of a sort made sit down on what seemed to be nothing and sing something I learned from the humans:

"_Oh,_

_Written in the Stars,_

_A million miles away,_

_A message to the main_

_No . . ._

_Seasons come and go,_

_But I will never change_

_And I'm on my way . . ."_

When I was finished, I stood up. I have to find a way out of here!

But before I could do anything, a blinding light filled my vision and I instinctively shut them as fast as I could. Just to be sure to not go blind. I opened them when the light subsided, but still no one. _Well . . . _I thought, _so much for the grand entrance._

A low growl sounded behind me and I froze. _Always watch you back_, a voice said in my head. I didn't have time to turn around when the growl became a roar and a bright bluish light flashed through the area. A searing pain stabbed me directly in the heart and I screamed, passing out.

**It's finally done! /shot\\ Today's my birthday! I'm turning 12!**


	5. The Voice

"Grovyle! Grovyle, wake up!"

"Cut it out, Piplup. She hasn't woken up for a week, so why should she now?"

I struggled against the hands grasping me, trying to make sense of what just happened. Trapped in a place with no way out. A light appeared and left. Heard something behind me and was stabbed . . . wait, how am I still alive?

I jerk my head up and my eyes fly open. The first thing I knew was Piplup staring at me from a few inches away. Not processing it, I instinctively used razor leaf. "Whoa!" he yelled, and hit the floor as it went sailing over his head. I'm glad it didn't hit him; he would've taken serious damage (my level has been rising rapidly over the past few months).

"Grovyle, don't scare me like that," he sighed, relieved. "We thought you were dead."

I jumped up, surprising him again, and ran up to the rocks, looking out. The moon was still bright in the sky, as if no time had passed, but I had a feeling it was playing tricks on me.

"How long have I been out?" I yelled, surprising both of them. "A week," Treecko answered. "We found you here on the second night; bleeding and unconscious. What'd you do? Get yourself stabbed or something?"

But I had already stopped listening as my fingers subconsciously made their way to my heart. I felt a long gash running down it, still open, and the dried blood around it. So it wasn't a dream? I was really there . . .? Impossible. I never left this place. Unless I was sleepwalking, or the dream fractured the frail bond between subconsciousness and reality. I have a distant, fuzzy memory of that happening once, so probably the latter.

What am I thinking . . .? Am I going crazy? A loud, high-pitched note rang through my ears and I dropped to my knees. _You can't do this, _a voice hissed in my head. _You are being hunted, and if they catch you, they will torture and eventually kill you. Do you really want that . . .?_

"Shut up!" I yell, accidently digging my fingers into my chest so hard that more blood comes dripping out into my hand and onto the floor. A scream sounded behind me, but it was so distant I could barely hear it.

_Yes . . . leave this world to escape them . . ._

I collapsed to the ground, feeling my consciousness slipping away. Someone called my name just before I lost it.

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><p><strong>shot\ another short chapter. I was a biiiiiiiit suicidal when I wrote this (darn you sad Vocaloid songs!) so it turned out like this. This is the last old chapter! Prepare to see them get progressively better!**

**:S:**


	6. Wigglytuff

I don't know how long I was out. It seemed endless. Like death.

When I did wake up though, I found myself in my partners' room back in the Guild.

Why do I keep getting saved? Pokémon die all the time. I'm just another one of them.

Wigglytuff just walked in. Probably coming to check on me. Odd. "Ah! You're awake!" he greeted cheerfully. _Way _too peppy.

I sat up groggily. "What . . . do you want now . . .?" I asked, my speech slightly slurred. He didn't reply; he only crossed the room and sat down in front of me with the super happy expression he wears all the time on his face.

"If you have something to say, just say it!" I snapped angrily. This dude could be a stalker for all he's worth right now.

He folded his hands, taking a deep breath. "Grovyle . . . you're not normal," he started. I froze. Isn't that why . . .?

"What do you mean?" I asked slowly. He took another breath, like it was paining him to tell me this. "I've been told that you hold a strong power . . . a power that can save us from the darkness looming over us."

I waited for him to continue, but it seemed like that was it. "Like, what kind of darkness?" I asked again. He shrugged and I rolled my eyes. "Is that all you know?"

"Yep!"

I groaned. _Seriously . . .?_

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><p><strong>NYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! shot\ I gotta stop with the short chapters.**


	7. Corruption

I stared out the opening of Sharpedo Bluff, letting my mind wander as I stared at the stars. Darkness? Power? That kind of stuff only happens in movies or books.

So why the heck did he say it?

He can't be serious.

. . .

Right?

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><p>As I fell asleep, I dreamed. I was back in the rift again, but this time, I wasn't alone. There was the chimchar from before, three other Pokémon in the distance, and . . . Mom?<p>

I ran up to my mother—who was standing next to the chimchar—and nearly tackled her, hugging her tight. Great, now I'm about to cry.

She stepped back first, smiling and sizing me up. Was it just me, or were her eyes wet with unshed tears? "You've grown so much," she breathed. I nodded. "Yeah, I'm also in an exploration team in Wigglytuff's Guild."

"I see. How are you feeling now?" "Great!" I laughed. She laughed also. "Please remember that." Taking a step back, she started to fade away while waving goodbye. I just watched; a smile still plastered onto my face.

The chimchar, who had been leaning against an invisible wall of a sort, stood up and walked over to me. "So how'd it go?" she asked. I just stared at her stupidly. "What?" "I meant how'd it feel seeing your mother after so long?"

I had to think about it. "Like I was crying and flying and fainting all at the same time."

She smiled too. "Another question: is this a dream?"

I blinked. "Of course it's a dream," I answered matter-of-factly.

She looked away, and the next thing she said made a chill run down my spine, "Wrong answer."

Suddenly, I was forced backwards and ensnared in a bunch of chains wrapped around me. I gasped, blood dripping out of the corner of my mouth due to the chains being so tight. ". . ."

"You're probably wondering what the heck is going on," the chimchar said, walking over to me. "Has Wigglytuff explained it to you already?" _What? Has Wigglytuff explained wh—oh . . . that. _I nodded, unable to speak.

"Good." The chimchar pointed towards me and the chains snapped in half, falling to the ground. I stood up, wiping the blood away with one finger. "Why'd you do that?" I asked. She shook her head. "It wasn't me. It's a curse on this place by those Pokémon over there."

She pointed to the three in the distance. One looked sort of like a Weavile, but it had a red crystal on its chest with a barrier of white steel around it, clawed hands with the same white steel connecting them to the wrists, spikes along the upper back of white steel, and a huge gigantic tail. It stood as tall as a full-grown human.

The second one beside it I can't describe, but I could see its body was black and it looked like it was standing on stilts.

The third was farther behind the two. Its body was blue and its face was a mask of steel. Its piercing red eyes caught my green ones and shown with terror.

"Dialga!" I blurted out, and then quickly covered my mouth. The temporal Pokémon roared weakly, and it looked like it was unable to do anything else. The hybrid disappeared and reappeared behind his head, smacking him on the soft part of his neck with his foot. Oh yeah, that's also covered in a white steel. Dialga growled softly and collapsed, fainted. I just stared in shock, not noticing the chimchar had walked up to me.

"This is the darkness," she said quietly. I looked down at her, removing my hands from my mouth. "What . . .?" "Darkrai has returned. He has awakened the dormant evil inside of Dialga—the hybrid over there—but he is corrupting as many Pokémon as he can get to try and let darkness rule. Again." She facewalled on nothing. "And he's even stronger. A while back he got the psychic trio under his control."

She walked forward a bit, and then stopped. "Do you feel it?" she asked. I tilted my head questioningly. _Feel what . . .?_

She pivoted around to face me. "One last thing before you have to go. My name's Alyssa and I'm the former leader to Team Destiny. And your real name is Soul."

I stared again. "What—wait!" But Alyssa was already gone and I was back staring at the ceiling of Sharpedo Bluff.

I scrambled up quickly and hit my head on the ceiling, faceplanting on the ground. Groaning, I sat up again, rubbing my head gently. In the corner of my eye was another Pokémon staring up at the stars, sitting in the crook of one of the rocks. The shape was familiar.

"Treecko?" I murmured, standing up and walking towards him. He gave no reaction as I sat next to him. "What are you doing here?"

He said nothing for a few minutes. "There are evil things in this world," he stated. His tone of voice shocked me. It sounded caring. "Do you know anything corrupted?" I shook my head. "Yes, you do. Back in Steam Cave, those Pokémon were corrupted." I thought back to it. He's right.

"Do you know why I'm telling you this?" he asked again. I shook my head. "Because I'm corrupted."

He turned his head to look at me. One eye was completely black with the exception of a white slit pupil. I freaked and scooted back a lot. He turned his gaze back out to sea. "You better leave now, Grovyle. You have no place here." He paused. "You'll also have a better head start, because eventually, I will come after you."

Nodding, I stood up and ran out of the cave. Running through Treasure Town and stopping at the Guild. Sneaking in quietly, I tiptoed into my partners' room and shook Piplup gently. "Psst! Wake up!" I whispered.

He moaned and rolled over. "Not now Loudered . . ." I rolled my eyes and shook him harder. "Wake up!" Piplup's eyes shot open and he sat up. "Quick what's the situation?" he yelled, and I clamped my hand over his mouth. "Do you want to wake up the whole Guild?" I hissed. He shook his head and I let go of his mouth. "What are you doing here, so late at night?" he asked.

I clenched and unclenched my fist. "Treecko's corrupted. He said he would come after me, so I needed to tell you I'm leaving." Piplup stared at me, mouth wide open. "What do you mean by corrupted?" he asked, scared. I held up my pointer finger to say 'wait'. There were quiet footsteps out in the hall. I grabbed Piplup's wing and pulled him into the shadows with me, holding my breath. A figure stopped in the middle of the hallway. I couldn't make it out, but the moonlight reflected off the eyes and the white slit pupil told me it was Treecko. I growled quietly. "He's here."

Treecko stepped into the room and Piplup whimpered. He turned his head toward us and I freaked again, pulling Piplup and I through the wall and onto the ground outside.

We both looked around in shock, then at each other. "That was so cool!" Piplup yelled, excited. "How'd you do that?" I blinked in surprise. "I thought you did it," I replied.

We stared at each other for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing.

Eventually, we stopped. I wiped the excess water from my eyes and looked back up at the Guild. "Are you going back?" I asked. Piplup thought about it, and then nodded. "I can't just leave Treecko," he explained. I nodded slightly too. "I'm going to be down at the beach if you need me," I told him, turning around and walking away.


	8. vs Palkia

I sat right on the waveline, the tide high and restless. Just like me.

I looked out to the horizon, subconsciously drawing little things in the sand and feeling then wash away. Sighing, I stopped the drawing and looked out again. The moon made the sea look beautiful, but to me, it was just masking the dangers under the water. I looked up and fell back on the sand, staring at the stars and letting my mind flow around the world. I imagined Treecko and Piplup and the whole Guild sleeping. Treasure Town was empty, except for the occasional wild Pokémon.

Back at Unova. The night Pokémon have been wandering around for hours, and all the humans are most likely asleep. But one group of Pokémon—some of the day ones—are up, wandering. I reached my mind out back to my home region. A Dewott, Frillish, and Golduck are traveling. Somewhere.

. . .

My finger caught on something and I pulled. Something popped out of the sand and swung around on a string in the air. It was a time gear.

Odd . . . I thought, turning it around and around in my hands. Something shuffled behind me and I turned around quickly, scanning the area. No one. I'm sure of it.

Turning back to face the sea, I flopped onto my back and held the time gear to my chest while staring up at the sky. And somehow, falling asleep.

* * *

><p>I woke up, chains connecting to my wrists, ankles, and neck to some rock fixtures coming from the ceiling and floor. The ground was rocky, uneven, and cold. Little to no light shined. I guess I'm in a cave.<p>

"_Chains_," murmured a voice. It rang around the cave and I looked around wildly, trying to find the speaker. I accidentally pulled too hard on the chain around my neck and choked myself a bit.

_"They can bind the body, mind, and soul."_

I leaned back against a wall. "Who are you?" I called. "What do you mean?"

A Liepard stepped out of the shadows next to me. I stared up at her (I think-I'm not entirely sure if it was her who had spoken.) and shuddered. The feel of her aura was too dark to my liking.

"I am Rush," she introduced herself, her voice seemingly filled with triumph and dignity. "You may wonder why you're here." I nodded slowly. She looked down at me with half-closed eyes, looking bored. "Master Darkrai has commanded me to bring you here, for reasons only known to him. You seem to be very valuable . . ."

Rush gave a high, ringing laugh, and I flinched away from her. Too loud. "I think I'll just leave you here for a while . . ."

She padded away with another laugh, and I strained my ears to hear if she really was gone. After a few seconds of silence, I jerked the chain around my left wrist. Something jabbed into my skin and I quickly pulled back, releasing the tension. The pain went away.  
><em>What <em>_the__.__.__.?_ I thought as blood trickled down my wrist, splattering onto the floor.

The slow metronome calmed me somehow. I mean, I've been in worse situations, right?

My mind ran at about a hundred thoughts a minute, but my consciousness was slow to grasp them. All these fantastic ideas raced through, but were suddenly interrupted by a voice in my head: "I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

A different voice and a familiar energy signature. Looking to my right, I saw Alyssa sitting next to me with her face buried in her hands. I poked her, and then pinched myself, to try and figure out if this was a dream. It wasn't. "What do you mean?" I asked. She didn't look at me when she spoke. "My powers and moves are cancelled out when I'm around you. It's this stupid protection thing that Master Darkrai put on me so I won't betray him."

"Whoa whoa whoa! Hold up!" I yelled. "_Master _Darkrai?"

"Long story," replied she.

Of course, that didn't faze me. "Tell me everything," I pressed. I needed to figure out more about this Pokémon—she seems intent on keeping me alive.

"Well . . ." started she, "a time before you were born, Temporal Tower—it's the residing place of Dialga; where he governs all time and keeps the past, present, and future in balance—collapsed. The world was thrown into paralysis. No plants grew, no wind blew, the sun never rose . . . it was a place of eternal darkness. I was a human at the time." I opened my mouth to say something, but she cut me off with a wave of her hand. "At age 10—in human years—I teamed up with a revolting Pokémon, Grovyle, to reverse the darkness. While we were returning to this time—"again she cut me off with a wave (I still couldn't see her face)—"Darkrai attacked us and turned me into a Pokémon and somehow I developed amnesia. I ended up on the beach. Treecko found me—"

"You mean the Treecko on my team?" I asked, my response time way faster now. She shook her head. "No. His name is Yoh.

"Anyway, we teamed up and saved the world from the darkness. Grovyle . . . went back to the future, certain that life would be more peaceful now. Then Darkrai somehow corrupted the fabric of space and convinced Palkia it was us. We got Cresselia to help us and nearly captured Darkrai, but he escaped and set a trap for us at Dark Crater. We went, and he turned me into . . . what I am now . . ." Her fingers parted a bit and I caught a glimpse of her eye. The white slit pupil told me she was another one. I was shocked, but somehow knew that was going to happen.

"Then how are you able to be sitting here, telling me all this?" I questioned further. "I mean aren't you supposed to be killing me right now or something?"

She turned and glared at me sharply. "He wants you _alive_," she hissed with such force I backed away a bit. Plus, her voice was layered. Freak-y! She then sighed, her voice returning to normal, and her gaze fluttered skyward. "I don't know. For some reason, I'm only fully corrupted at midnight and during the early hours of the day. I honestly can't give an answer to that."

"I guess we can't do anything about it."

After I say that, she stands up and leaves. I pondered my options, and then used Leaf Blade on the chains. They snapped and fell to the floor with a satisfying _clank!_

I blinked in surprise. "That was easy."

Standing up and rubbing my wrists and neck, I started to walk forward. It was dark all around. I couldn't see the end. So I kept walking. Further. In a straight line, so I wouldn't run into anything. It kept getting darker as I went on. The dim light faded to blackness. I couldn't see anything. When

FWASH! Blinding light covered my vision and I shield my eyes quickly. "Déjà vu," I mutter as the light subsided. I heard a voice—no, two—and then Piplup faceplanted right in front of me!

Shocked, I didn't say anything. Yoh fell on top of him with an annoyed grunt.

"Oh hi," Piplup greets, pushing Yoh off and jumping up. Yoh groaned and stood up, leaning against another rock formation. I noticed his eyes were back to normal. "Where the heck are we?" he asks, sounding a bit peeved. I shook my head. "No idea."

"Anyway, look what we found!" Piplup shouts, shoving a multicolored crystal into my face. I plucked it out of his hands and twisted it around and around in mine. It shifted into a bright, reptilian green. "What the?"

"Isn't it cool?" Piplup asked, and I nodded. I was about to say something else when the crystal turned a pinkish white color and I was teleported back into the rift.

Landing on my back and standing up quickly after that, I scanned the area with my eyes. No one within sight, but I could feel another presence. Along with that, a sort of fiery cold pain tore through the old wound over my heart and I clutched it with one hand, gritting my teeth to stop myself from screaming. I also noticed the crystal was gone.

_Behind __you!_I reminded myself, slowly turning around. A huge Pokémon stood a short distance away, facing away from me. I nearly cried out, but caught myself so as not to alert it of my presence. I could make out a pink orb on its right shoulder.

"Oh god . . ." I breathed. Palkia.

The spacial Pokémon turned around to face me and I took a step back. "You . . ." he growled (I'm sorry—I can't call Pokémon 'it'. So I'm gonna call Palkia 'he'). "You are too powerful . . . you are not allowed to live . . ."

I freaked slightly, but something had me rooted to the spot. The same pain ripped through my chest again. Along with it, a fierce confidence and power . . .

"Alright," I hissed, facing the ground. I heard him growl slightly. "Try to kill me."

As I looked up, I saw Palkia enveloped in a bright white light, running towards me. I felt my form shifting, and I felt my power rise . . .

Dashing behind him, I elbowed him in the back of the head. He faceplanted on the ground. The light had subsided, and I saw him clearly now. He looked like a Medicham, but his metal wings had snapped out of his back, and the pink orb thing with the white guard around it was on his chest. He pushed himself up and got one knee, facing me.

"Well . . ." he commented, smiling darkly. Oh crap . . . he's a girl? Judging by the voice, he—or rather she—is. "I underestimated you. Especially now that you are like that."

I had no idea what she meant, so I just got into a fighting position.

"Lucario . . . is watching over you," was the last comment she made before she lept for me using Dragon Claw. I parried it by catching her arm with my hand and shooting an uppercut to her chin. A resounding _smack_was heard and she stumbled backwards, blood dribbling out of her mouth. In contrast, I held fast to her arm and punched her in the stomach, stepping back as she coughed up blood and therefore letting go of her arm. Wasting no time, I roundhouse-kicked her in the side of the head and she flew across the area, slamming into an invisible wall. Debris became visible and piled around her. I crossed my arms and cocked my head to the side. "Is that the best you can do?" I taunted.

She looked up at me, crawling out of the debris and her eyes shining mischievously.

"Nope."

Palkia then disappeared and somehow slashed me across the back with Dragon Claw. I was pushed forward and tripped, falling face-first but catching myself with my hands. Or rather paws. I got a good look at them and realized they were brown merging into blue around my upper wrists, and a spike on the opposite side of each palm. Before I could do anything else, Palkia kicked me in the stomach and sent me rocketing upward, disappearing again and kicking me in the side and sending me flying across the area, smashing into another invisible wall. Debris piled around me as I coughed up blood, staining it crimson. Looking up, I saw her rub away the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth and holding up the hand to me. Her hand started to glow a light blue with trace amounts of red, and a hyper beam shot out of it at me with mind-numbing velocity. The debris pinned me down so I couldn't move. I was hit directly. The pain was insane. I screamed louder than I had ever before, tearing the very atmosphere with the sound. My vision blurred, but I stayed conscious, as the pain lingered. Forced to suffer.

Palkia walked over to me and kneeled, becoming eye level. Her eyes were a light pink with silver wisps, and they gleamed with triumph. I didn't know whether to be amazed by the color or scared to death by the look in them.

"Know this," she stated. "I'm killing you for your own good. We can't let them corrupt you."

_Too __late._That voice. I recognize it.

She smirked and disappeared again, reappearing a little ways ahead with her hands up to the sky. Suddenly, my vision went hazy and then black, and back to normal. The area above Palkia was a bluish-black color. The air around took on a sudden chill. My vision altered again. It stayed black for longer this time, and although I was temporarily blind, my hearing was enhanced.

"How—how can you escape!" I heard Palkia yell. Her voice sounded angry and terrified. "No one has ever done so before!"

_What __the __hell __do __you __mean! _I wanted to yell, but it seemed I was mute too. My vision finally returned and I saw meteors coming down from the area above, straight towards me.

_That__'__s __Draco __Meteor,_the voice in my head informed. The same shadowy one from before. Who was it? _It __will __kill __you __if __you __don__'__t __get __out __of __there._

I tried to move, to push the debris aside, to do _something, _but I couldn't. _How? _I snarled back. _I __can__'__t __move!_

_This __way._A pitch-black portal opened up behind me and I fell through, landing on my stomach in a place I didn't know. The breath escaped from my body in a single hit and my vision blurred a final time before blacking out completely. I felt myself slipping.

_Yes. You could be very useful . . ._

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY! That took forever . . . -_-" I promise another chapter out over the weekend! I promise!<strong>

**:S:**


	9. Colors

"Let's go! We need to get her while she's still down!"

"Hurry!"

The sound of feet and paws pounded against the landmasses of the Reverse World. Flashes of green, purple, yellow and pink sped by so quickly you could hardly tell they were there.

"I don't see her . . ."

"She's here somewhere, Rush. I just know it."

Silence, then the whoosh of displaced air.

"How do we know to trust you, Yoh?"

Yoh suddenly skidded to a stop, whirling around to face the Pokémon, his teeth showing in a snarl. "You can trust me because Darkrai trusted me to lead you on this mission," he growled through clenched teeth, turning back around and dashing off. Rush and the other two followed hesitantly.

A few minutes of silence passed, broken only by the soft thump of the group's running.

"Wait, stop," Rush ordered, and the group slowed to a halt. Yoh stood a little ways ahead. "I can sense something . . ."

Yoh felt it too. "Up there." He jumped up and caught a floating piece of ground and pulled himself up, spotting Soul. "There she is."

Rush and her team followed, standing behind him as he walked up to Soul. "She's still fainted," he announced. "Good."

"We need to get her back to Darkrai as quickly as possible . . ." Rush started, but was cut off with a loud, crisp "No."

The group looked around wildly, and Yoh took several steps back to the rest. "Who's there?" Raichu called.

A golden Lucario appeared in front of Soul's body, arms crossed and glaring. "I won't let you take her," he snarled sharply. "You'll have to go through me first."

The group foolishly got into fighting positions, and the Lucario counted them out.

_A Snubull, Raichu, Liepard and Treecko. Heh._

The Lucario dashed over and leapt for Snubull first, using Focus Punch smack in the chest. She fell backwards, fainted. A pitch-black portal opened up underneath her and she slipped through as it closed behind her. Raichu came up behind him, attempting an Iron Tail, but he caught the tail in his fist and shot an Aura Sphere to the face. K.O.'d, he fell back only to slip through another portal. The Lucario smiled darkly and turned to Rush, who was in a split-second jump coming towards him. In the same instant, she used Night Slash and a long gash was formed on his chest, right under the spike. Only a snicker escaped his lips as the wound closed up, leaving only a faint scar and a trace of blood. Jumping back, he used Metronome, which turned into Shockwave, hitting her and inevitably paralyzing. The Liepard freaked and struggled, but to no avail. The Lucario charged up two aura spheres and shot them both at her, effectively hitting her on the back and face. She screeched and fell to her knees, but didn't faint. The Lucario snarled and a long animal bone appeared in his right paw and he ran over, hitting her over and over like a ticked parent beating a child. As she cried out in pain, a raved, feral sound, he was hit in the back by something that stunned him for a moment as a jolting pain spread throughout his body. That gave Rush an edge, and it was all she could do to swipe out a paw and knock his legs out from underneath him, making him trip and land on his back so that he lost his breath and the paralysis broke. The Lucario jumped up just as Rush used Night Slash against his back. It hit and a long gash was formed down his back, although it didn't heal this time. He snarled fiercely and used Metronome, which turned into Mimic, and then Night Slash, which he slashed Rush across the chest with. She gave a faint moan before slipping through the portal.

The Lucario, sensing another attack, twisted to the side just as a spear of darkness shot by him, soaring off into the distance. His gaze flicked to Yoh and he appeared in front of the Treecko, placing two fingers on his forehead. Yoh gave a shudder before becoming frozen in place.

"You were corrupted, were you not?" The Lucario asks in a gritty voice. He was trying to make Yoh see sense. Yoh nodded once, because that was one of the things he could do. His eyes gleamed with fear.

The Lucario took his fingers off Yoh's forehead and placed his paw on his shoulder. Yoh yelped in pain and shuddered again before collapsing to his knees, shivering. One of his eyes returned to normal.

"You will thank me later," the Lucario mentioned, walking away a bit, "whether you like it or not at this point-"

"Don't."

The voice was a sudden, deep snarl, belonging to a voice capable of sending a chill down anyone's spine. As it did for the Lucario. He froze in his tracks, whirling around in the direction the voice had come from. A swirling mass of darkness was directly in that spot and a pair of ice blue eyes could barely be seen from it, staring at him.

The Lucario snarled in hatred. "Why are you here?"

The darkness floated protectively in front of Yoh, facing the Lucario with unblinking eyes. "We had an agreement, Luka," it accused. "You were not supposed to touch any one of my . . . devotees."

"You weren't supposed to corrupt any of us!" Luka shot back, anger making him gleam brighter. The darkness didn't move or show any signs of hesitation. He continued, "You have two very powerful Pokémon. Why don't you leave the rest alone?"

There was a pause before the darkness spoke, floating back a bit.

"We never said we had an alliance."

Luka growled, obviously fed up. "This deal is off." He kicked Yoh over to the darkness, which in turn reached out a hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Take your . . . 'devotee' back," he spat the word like it was a disease, "and know we will meet again in the future. Preferably in battle."

"Gladly," the darkness replied, warping itself and Yoh out of there. Luka sighed, his gold markings shifting back to blue as he powered down. He walked back over to Soul, who was leaning over the rock slightly. He kneeled down beside her. "The war has finally started," he murmured tiredly, half to himself. "Know that you have allies." He took in a deep breath right before he disappeared.

**(A/n: Okay i got the gold thing from DBZ okay! So don't yell at me please! Now, on with the story!)**

* * *

><p>I awoke to the sound of rushing water right next to my ear. "Mmph . . ." I pulled myself up into a slight sitting position, and that simple movement sent the world spinning. When my vision straightened up, I saw a stream right in front of me. Following the line with my eyes, I saw it go off the edge of the land I was sitting on.<p>

Wait . . .

Looking around, I took in everything around me, and something clicked in my mind. _I'm in the Reverse World._ Wow. The places I end up in.

Standing up, looking down the stream again and noticing Piplup a little ways down, sitting next to it. A part of me is surprised that I didn't notice him before, and I take in his appearance. His expression is somber, his body covered in scrapes, and he keeps slashing the soft ground with his wings, almost angrily. I walk up next to him and plop down, splashing water in his face to get his attention. "Hey."

Piplup turned his gaze toward me, looking indifferent to the water. "Oh. Hey Soul." I blinked, not used to people calling me that in a while. "It seems everyone knows my name now," I murmured, looking out into the distance. He followed my gaze, and the words that came out of his mouth now are new to me.

"My name is Wave. I'm not the Piplup you know anymore."

A shocked expression came across my face, quickly replaced by sorrow. So he's gone, then. One of my last friends in my life. Who or what did this to change him?

"What happened to you after that crystal thing warped you away?" he asked suddenly. I think back and relate the battle against Palkia. He listened intently, nodding at some parts or sketching in the soft mud next to the stream. I finished with the explanation of the voice in my head, and he frowns deeply. "That's not a good sign," he breathed. I sighed, "I thought so."

I splashed some water on my face to clear my thoughts. It helps. I could detect my mind running at full speed, even though I can only grasp so little. I could also feel some sort of feeling blooming through me. Some sort of a power . . . I guess Wigglytuff was right.

"What happened to you?" I asked. "Did you remain at the cave, or . . .?" My voice fails me.

Wave looked sideways at me. "Girantina. I was warped here, but he didn't try to kill me. He said I could use his power to save him . . . and I changed. Like . . . I transformed . . ." He trailed off, raising his wing into the air and staring at it. I saw it flash into a Samurott paw before changing back. I raised my own hand to my face, seeing it flash into a Lucario paw. I blinked in shock as it shifted back. Lucario is watching over you. Palkia's words echo in my head and I lower my hand.

"You are protected by another," I murmured, trancelike. "He is your guardian, your protector, for the days to come . . ." Suddenly tired, I slump forward and pass out.

* * *

><p>The next thing I was aware of, I was standing in a colorless wasteland on a cliff, overlooking the area. There was a grey leafless tree next to me. The sky was black. Mystified, I took a step over and touched the trunk of the tree gingerly, and I noticed my hand was like a human's. <em>What?<em> Looking around me, I saw that my appearance was that of a female human's. Pale skin, long green hair, and a slightly angular figure. I was wearing a simple light blue t-shirt and dark blue jeans. I was barefoot. _What the . . .?_

Taking one last look, I turned my attention back to the area around me. There was a small cluster of lights in the distance, beckoning me from this world of blacks and greys. Impulsively, I jumped off the cliff and landed squarely on the ground. The lights were far closer now, so I walked to it. It turned out to be a building of a sort, but I was already walking in through the entrance, so I continued. The hallways were dark and musty, but somehow, I knew my destination lay ahead.

Eventually, I reached a wide room with three marble pillars in the middle. The floor and walls were made from stone; the pillars a white marble. I placed my hand on one and my fingers instantly became cold. Jerking it away, I rubbed it gently, feeling some of the warmth return. Stone conquers people every time.

"This is the Stockade," someone behind me explained. I looked around wildly, but couldn't see anyone. "I wonder why you, of all people, are here."

The speaker stepped out from behind the far left pillar, leaning against it with his arms crossed. It was a Weavile. But his energy seemed familiar . . .

I tried to speak, but no sound came out. The Weavile smiled darkly, confusing me even more. "Mute, I see," he said. "Not a problem. Follow me." He turned and walked off to the far end of the room, going straight through the wall. I followed at a slight jog to catch up.

Soon, I'd caught up to him. We were in a large cave, but it ended a little ways beyond with rock formations sticking out of the floor and ceiling, leading directly into a lake of lava. I flinched at the sight. The rocks were soot black with ashes everywhere on the ground. The area above the lava lake was illuminated with an eerie red glow. The Weavile was standing right in front of me, searching the lake for something. He turned back and looked at me. "Master would not recognize you looking like that," he stated simply, pointing at me with one claw. I rose up slightly into the air and shifted back into a Pokémon before faceplanting back on the ground. Looking back up, I saw he was kneeling down, but his head was up and gazing off into the distance.

I followed his gaze, seeing a swirling shape of darkness at the far end of the lava lake. It suddenly disappeared, reappearing back on the ground in front of the rocks. It finally took form and I stared in awe at his ice blue eyes.

"Welcome back, Master Darkrai," the Weavile greeted, lowering his head. Darkrai nodded once approvingly. "Thank you. Have you brought the girl?"

The Weavile dipped his head again and stood up, stepping away and leaving me in full view of Darkrai. I scrambled up into a sitting position and attempted wiping away the ashes. And failed. The Weavile frowned at me. "She doesn't look like much," he commented under his breath. "She's just nervous," Darkrai explained. "Give her some time." He walked over to me and I scooted back a bit in fear.

"Did you know it was me who saved you?" he asked. I blinked, remembering the voice when I was battling Palkia. And the portal. He continued. "You owe a debt that can only be repaid in one way: join me." I freaked and scooted back a bit more, catching the Weavile's eye. What should I do? I mouthed franticly. Listen, he mouthed back. I turned my attention back to Darkrai.

"Join me," he repeated, "and all your troubles will be gone. Join me, and you'll have all the power you'll ever want. Join me, and we could rule the world!"

Another jolt of pain ripped through my chest and I clutched it tightly.

"Stop!" Two voices resounded around the cavern. One a girl's and one a boy's. I was pushed back to the wall by an unseen force as a gold-and-black Lucario and a Medicham landed in front of the two. But the Medicham looked different. One glimpse at the steel wings lining her back and I covered my mouth to keep from gasping. Palkia!

"You may not take her!" the Lucario snarled, paws clenched into fists and covered in a glowing gold light. Darkrai chuckled. "I may do whatever I want, Luka," he replied cockily. Palkia and the Weavile merely glared at each other. I was too shocked to look away.

Luka growled, "If it's a fight you want . . ." A golden aura sphere started to form between his paws, and a shadow ball formed in Darkrai's. "Then i'll gladly accept it!" The two shot their respective energy balls at each other and they colided in midair, creating a huge explosion and sending rock and ash flying everywhere. I hit the ground, shielding my eyes. When the debris had subsided, I opened my eyes and saw the two enimies locked in a close-range battle. Palkia was battling the Weavile, but he looked-oh, remember that Weavile-Dialga hybrid from a while back? Yeah.

Oh God, I thought, watching the whole thing, my horror plainly showing on my face. At least it felt like it. I kept my eyes locked on Darkrai, searching for any kind of weakness in him so I could help-

Bam! Without warning, Darkrai was hit from behind with a flamethrower attack and he disappeared, reappearing at the far end of the lava lake, leaving me to observe the attacker. "Soul!" Alyssa yelled, her eyes glimmering with fury. "Get out of here!"

The command jolted some sense into me and I scrambled to my feet, running back through the wall. The world shifted black with marroon splatters for a second before I came back into the stockade. I kept running through an exit I hadn't seen before.

"Soul," I heard someone beside me say. I turned my head and saw a Gardevoir running beside me. "Who are you?" I asked. "Your guides," another voice answered from my other side and I looked in that direction, seeing a Gallade running beside me. I shrugged, letting them get a little ways ahead of me before retaining my pace. They said they were my giudes, so it'll be better for them to lead me.

Eventually, we reached the cliff place I'd started out at. I collapsed on the ground, panting as I tried to catch my breath. "Keep watch Blade," I heard the Gardevoir say. I felt soft hands grasping my arms and pulling me up. I didn't resist.

"Nyra, let her go," Blade called. The hands slowly put me down and footsteps receeded. I still didn't move although I had stopped panting. "What's wrong with her?" Nyra asked, concern in her voice. Blade sighed. "She's traumatized," he explained. "Everything that's happened to her up to this point has contributed."

"You sure know a lot about her."

"Luka's been telling me. He hasn't told you?"

"No."

"Wow. I'm surprised."

"Same here."

I heard someone's footsteps receeding, then stopping. Maybe at the cliff. "Nyra," Blade sighed. "What am I gonna do with you?" If Nyra was still here, she said nothing.

* * *

><p>"Hm . . . I have trained Luka well."<p>

Arceus watched the battle between Luka and Darkrai, slightly amused. But he wasn't in the cave; he was in his own castle. A large screen was in front of him, allowing him to see everything. "But . . ." he began, tapping the screen with one foot. It zoomed out and he started watching from a side view. Luka threw a punch at Darkrai's face, but the nightmare Pokemon disappeared and hit Luka with a shadow ball from behind. Arceus narrowed his eyes. ". . ."

* * *

><p>We got up and started running again. Through more walls and dungeons and endless confrontations from the Pokemon who live here. I don't see how they survive in this place.<p>

Eventually, we reached this flat land with these huge mountains surrounding us on three sides with only the way we came through as an exit. Unless you planned on scaling the mountain, which I doubt anyone would want to. In front of us was a blue glowing portal thing and another Pokemon flying beside it. "Hello Celebi," Nyra greeted. I stayed silent.

Celebi grinned and flew over. "I haven't seen you in forever, Nyra! How've you been?" Nyra smiled. "Good. Great, actually, if you're not counting the war." Her expression darkened. "Luka and Darkrai are currently fighting and Arceus hasn't interveened yet."

"Has he shown himself at all?" Celebi asked. Blade shook his head. "Not since she was found by team Legacy," he answered, motioning towards me. I stared at the ground. Celebi flew into my line of sight. "I know how hard it is. But don't worry, you'll make it through." I looked up at her, but still said nothing. It feels like I had become mute again.

She smiled widely and floated up to face the others. "The Passage of Time is open," I heard her say. "You may leave whenever you'd like."

Nyra nodded her thanks and started towards the portal. "C'mon Soul," Blade encouraged, walking up to the portal but not going through. I stayed behind for a bit, and then followed them slowly. "Bye Soul!" Celebi called. I turned around and gave her a little wave before falling back into the portal. Everything in my vision was engulfed in a bright blue light and the whole world spun. I shut my eyes tightly. Suddenly, my head hit the back of something hard and I passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY ITS FINALLY DONE! -faceplants- I make Soul pass out a lot, don't I? XD Anyway, please review! All are appriciated! dB<strong>

**:S:**


	10. Forests

The sound of a Pidgeot call fills my ears and I open my eyes, seeing the Pokemon's outline flit across the inky sky. The stars gleam weakly overhead, and the ones in the far corner of my vision are blotted out by trees. A soft wind blows, chilling me to the bone. I lay motionless, feeling a sense of relief. I've been here before.

"Are we in the Eastern Forest?" I asked, not really expecting an answer. So the sound of Nyra's voice from behind startled me. "Yeah. You catch on fast."

If Nyra's here, then she's probably trying to protect me. It seems that now everyone's trying to either do that or kill me.

I sit up, looking around. The sound of a fire beside me makes me jump. "Oh, c'mon Soul, it's only a campfire," Nyra consoled. I turned and looked at her. "Force of habit," I explained. She nodded once, hopefully understanding.

Feeling my hand brush something, I grab it and hold it up in the firelight. It was a Time Gear. Nyra looked up at me and frowned. "Where did you find that?" she asked. I replied "Down at the beach. Dunno how it ended up here."

Nyra looked past me with concern and I followed her gaze. "I don't see anything except trees," I reported. And a little stone rise, but that only touched the air. "That's the problem," Nyra stated. "A Time Gear was supposed to be there, but it's not. So why is this place not frozen . . .?"

Her eyes widened in terror just as an earthquake shook the forest. The area around the stone rise turned grayscale and started expanding all around. "It's freezing!" I yelled, jumping up and grabbing Nyra's arm while pulling her in the general direction of the entrance. She seemed to obey, but I could tell she was shocked. I grit my teeth and ran faster, throwing her onto my back and putting on another burst of speed. I could just barely feel her gripping my shoulders tightly, trying to hang on.

We made it out just as it was catching up to us. I sat down, panting from my effort.

"Temporal Tower is collapsing again," Nyra breathed, who had gotten off me and was staring at the dungeon. "Why don't we-"

"I'm not going back in there," I growled, my voice sounding layered. Was someone speaking through me?

Nyra looked at me in confusion, and then helped me up. We turned and walked away. I needed to go somewhere other than here.

* * *

><p>"I have failed you, Master Arceus. Forgive me."<p>

Luka bowed his head in shame as Arceus paced around the wide room. "It wasn't your fault, Luka. It was mine. I had underestimated the strength of our enemy . . ." He stopped, trailing off and Luka looked up at him. "What is it?" he asked.

Arceus looked over at him. "Follow me," he ordered, walking out of the room. There was a sense of urgency in his gait, and Luka stood and followed without question.

They entered the room with the screen. Or rather the machine room, because there were others lined around the walls, flashing and beeping slightly, the sapphire-blue walls soaking up the sound. A black ceiling donned the area. Arceus went straight to the screen and tapped it twice. It flashed on, zoning in on the Eastern Forest. Luka came up beside him, and his breath caught in his throat when he saw. "Oh crap . . ." he breathed. Arceus growled lowly. "I knew it. Time has stopped in the Eastern Forest."

"Why was no one guarding it?" Luka asked, a hint of a snarl in his voice.

"It wasn't there in the first place," Arceus replied. "It was at Temporal Tower-" he quickly tapped four times on the screen in different places and it shut off for a second, turning back on at the pinnacle of the tower. They were watching the fight between Alyssa and Dialga. Alyssa had used flamethrower, and it hit directly, making Dialga fall to his knees. She ran past him, running her fingers along his crystal. It broke and the Pokemon roared weakly as she snatched up the Time Gears and jumped off the side of the tower, disappearing halfway down.

Arceus facewalled and Luka slammed his fists into the ground. "We need her back!" he snarled. "She's too strong to be working for Darkrai!" Arceus nodded his agreement, but his expression was worrisome. "You are dismissed," he said simply. Luka turned and walked out of the room, teleporting down to the entrance. He walked up the crumbling stairs and out the ruins, to the forest and the worlds beyond.

* * *

><p><strong>Short chapter . . . shot\ Arceus's castle is located in a hidden forest by the way, so yah . . . /shot again\**

**:S:**


	11. Blood, Trees, Friends, Evolving

(Luka's POV)

I stood on the stone rise where the Time Gear used to be, my head tilted towards the sky with my eyes closed. My energy flowed out even to the farthest reaches of the dungeon as I searched for others that weren't caught in the freezing.

"Nothing," I breathed, opening my eyes in frustration. The fixated stars offered no comfort and I slammed my fist into the stone, making it crumble and little pieces fly out around me.

"Don't take your anger out on places like this," Pal warned from behind me. "It'll never unfreeze if you do."

I took several deep breaths to calm myself, and then stood up. "I just hope none else are like this," I murmured, turning around and walking back towards the entrance. Pal walked along beside me, her fingers constantly twitching. I didn't wonder about it; I just kept going.

When we were out of the dungeon, Pal sighed and slumped against one of the trees. I didn't even look at her. "We have to get back," I announced, about to say more, until I heard her crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked, sitting down next to her. She didn't look up at me. "The world is . . . ending . . . and I can't stop it!" she wailed. I looked down at the ground, absentmindedly doodling a Time Gear in the soft earth. "It's okay," I murmured. "There are others trying. If we join together, we can stop it." I wiped away a tear on her cheek with my paw.

"Thank you," she breathed, a tiny smile on her lips. I grinned. "No problem."

I stood, extending my paw out to her, and as she linked her fingers in mine, I think she blushed when I wiped the rest of the tears from her cheek and pulled her up. "Can you run?" I asked, and she nodded, letting go of me and dashing away. I sprinted after her, easily keeping pace. It is to be hoped that we wouldn't have to come back here in a while.

* * *

><p>(Soul's POV)<p>

I now have three Time Gears. Nyra and I have been training for what I think would probably be the end of the world, but I can't be sure. I'm acting on a hunch.

Lately, Wave has been coming in to train periodically. He's really strong, but we can all see he needs to evolve if he wants to join us.

"C'mon Soul!" Wave called. I shook myself out of my daydream and jogged after him. We're headed through Mystifying Forest to Luminous Spring to let him evolve.

I caught up to him and slowed my pace to match his, linking my hands behind my head. "What does it feel like to evolve?" Wave asked. I thought about it for a bit before replying. "It kinda feels like a strange, tingling sensation running through your body." I paused. "It also feels warm and cold at the same time."

Nyra, who was walking beside me, frowned. "That's not what it felt like for me," she mentioned. I shrugged. "It's different for everyone."

We reached the place soon. The area glimmered with a faint white light. "Wow. . ." I breathed, looking around in awe.

"Welcome to the Luminous Spring," A voice called. The three of us looked around wildly. Who was speaking? "State your purpose."

"I wish to evolve!" Wave called. There was a pause. "Very well. Please step up."

A spotlight appeared over a watery area. Wave demurred, but walked over to the place and faced us. "Let us begin," the voice said.

He was enveloped in a bright white light and was lifted a little ways into the air. I could see his form shifting slowly. Suddenly the light got too bright for me to look and I shielded my eyes just as his scream of pain tore through the air. I wanted to help him, but something held me rooted to the spot.

Eventually, his scream died down and the light subsided. I opened my eyes and saw him kneeling on the ground, panting. But he had evolved. I ran to him and skidded to a halt beside him. There were no visible wounds on his body, but . . .

"What happened?" I asked, worried. "Surely the evolution couldn't have hurt that much?"

He looked up at me. "There . . . was someone . . . trying . . . to control . . . me . . ." he breathed, the pain in his voice clear. I blinked, narrowing my eyes. "What?"

His eyes suddenly turned red with black wisps and he smiled evilly, jumping up and pinning me down. "Die!" he hissed in those freaky multi-voices, his wing turning metal and stabbing me dangerously close to my heart. I screamed, throwing him off of me with my legs and standing up. Holding one hand over the wound, a glowing blue sword appeared in the other and my appearance started changing.

My fingers shifted into paws, but my arms had a white arm guard with one pink stripe going down them. Metal, shard-like wings expanded out of my back and my body shifted into a Lucario's. Leg guards clattered over my legs and a white protective armor covered my torso. A white helmet formed itself over my head, the spot around my eyes being covered with a screen with a lot of controls around it. Everything had a greenish tint to it.

Through the screen, I saw Wave stand up slowly, but now . . . he was a Zoroark.

"Heh . . ." he chuckled. "I guess everyone was right about you, Soul." I stayed silent, tightening my grip on my sword. He smiled darkly, turning his gaze skyward. "In your state, I know you wouldn't take my offer, so I have instructions to terminate. In layman's terms, I will have to kill you."

My right foot slid back and I held my sword in a defensive position. "You first," I growled, my voice layered again. Mine, Palkia's, and the Lucario's? I couldn't tell. Wave smirked, his hands becoming covered in a dark aura. He lept for me, aiming a punch for my chest. I blocked it with the flat of my sword and slashed downward, thrusting him back. He slid and then disappeared, reappearing behind me and hitting me with a shadow ball. I stumbled forward, quickly regaining balance and slashing in a circle. He was cut—not deeply, for he had jumped back—and growled, aiming a shadow claw attack down my back. I backflipped and landed on his shoulders, blasting an aura sphere to the back of his head. He fell forwards and I jumped back again, landing neatly.

_Just because we are helping you doesn't mean we will do everything for you,_ the Lucario said in my head. I nodded once, understanding.

Wave raised his body a bit, swinging his leg out in a circle and tripping me. My sword flew out of my paw and landed in his. The blue energy faded to red.

"Nice sword," he chuckled, dashing up to me and hooking the tip under my armor and lifting me up in the air, clasping his fingers around my throat. I gasped and struggled, trying to pry them apart, but that only made his get tighter.

"Is your hostess getting tired already, Luka?" he sneered. "Or are you just weaker since we last met?"

"Go to Hell," I spat weakly.

"No thanks," he replied, then laughed madly.

I felt dizzy and the world started spinning, so I kicked wildly until my foot made contact with his gut. He let go and coughed up blood, the sword point ripping off a huge chunk of my armor. I landed and swiftly grabbed his head and pulled him down, wrapping one arm around his neck and the other on his chin. _Boom. __Headlock. _"I could snap your neck right this instant," I snarled, grinning. My voice shifted, and now it sounded like the only one speaking was Palkia. "But I'd rather not. Nothing as merciful as that, no. Anyone for him should bleed to death on the paving stones of Hell."

I grabbed my sword back and stabbed him in the shoulder of his right arm. He screamed as I yanked it down his arm and out and jumped back. His body flickered and then burst out in a maroon aura, like the fanned embers of a dying fire. That is to say he was covered in bloodied darkness. He suddenly teleported and punched me in the cheek. I slid and nearly fell, but my wings snapped out and stopped me on the air, my paws covered in a light blue aura. I thrust them forward and a blue hyper beam shot out, hitting Wave. He screeched teleporting behind me and stealing my sword and stabbing him in the left arm. I growled and he roundhouse-kicked me in the side. Inevitably, I was sent flying, but caught myself on a tree. I looked for him, but couldn't see anything except a shadow headed on a jagged path to Nyra.

"Look out Nyra!" I yelled. "He's using Shadow Sneak!" Nyra jumped up just as Wave came out of the ground with an uppercut. She quickly used Magical Leaf, but it got absorbed into his aura and grabbed her arm, slamming her into the ground. My sword shifted into a bow and I took an arrow from a sheath that had appeared on my back and notched it quickly, shooting it at Wave's heart. He caught it without looking and stabbed it into Nyra's abdomen. She screamed, flailing in his grip. I gasped and teleported behind him, stabbing an arrow into his chest, but somehow he deflected it and tackled me again, his legs pinning down my arms and holding the arrow point teasingly over my heart. "I'll admit: this isn't how I wanted it to end, but . . . oh well."

Suddenly, he stumbled forward and disappeared, reappearing in a tree. The skin around his side had been shaved off. Nyra stood a little ways in front of me, panting. I couldn't say anything.

"You shouldn't have done that, girlie," Wave called, and then threw the arrow like a dagger. It sailed through the air at an incredible velocity, lodging itself in between her ribs, piercing her lungs. She coughed once, blood splattering onto the ground, and fell forward, her eyes glassy. Luka and I yelled her name. Wave chuckled evilly. "It's what she deserves for getting in my way."

I clenched my fists, standing up and becoming covered in a light blue aura. Wave teleported to the far edge of the clearing, standing completely still. His energy became wider and wider until—

_Crash! _It broke into thousands of razor-sharp shards, headed straight for me. I started running towards him, dodging every shard near me. His eyes widened when I'd reached him unscathed and took an arrow, digging it into his neck and dragging it down, leaving a long gash down his throat. A rush of air escaped his mouth as he fell back, morphing back into his own body. The Zoroark was out of sight, but I could hear him clearly. "You're only delaying the inevitable." His laughter rang through my ears. "I'd advise you to stop fighting."

The two others occupying my body left, reverting me back as I stared at Wave's in horror. "No . . ."

My whole form was trembling, and tears were streaming down my face as my eyes took it in. No. I couldn't believe it.

In my mind's eye, the Lucario—Luka, the Zoroark had called him—was kneeling beside Nyra's body, stiff and silent. Palkia was sitting in a tree a ways away.

I shook my head, snapping out of it, and gingerly taking Wave's wing in my hand. The wounds on my body soon overtook me and I surrendered to a petrifying darkness.

* * *

><p>(Luka's POV)<p>

I dried the tears from my eyes and gently lay Nyra and Wave to rest in the makeshift graves. One last tribute. We can't take their bodies with us.

Kicking the dirt over and patting it down, I turned to Pal. "Are you coming with me?" I asked. She shook her head. "I need to report back to Arceus. He'll want to know what had happened." I nodded once, standing. "What are you gonna do with her?" she questioned, jerking her thumb towards Soul. "Isn't she—"

"She's not," I assured, not wanting her to continue. "And I'm going to help her. Take her somewhere far away, somewhere safe, and get her to become stronger." I walked over to Soul and picked her up, holding her across my arms. He head rolled back where I wasn't holding her and I gently brushed the undried tears from her cheeks. "One last thing," Pal called. "You could've easily beat Zoro if you had gone super. Why didn't you?"

I growled lowly. "It would've made Soul's body disintegrate. Our standing order is to protect her, not kill her."

Pal nodded slowly, turning and walking away. I went in the opposing direction, breaking into a run and weaving throughout the trees and underbrush easily. I looked up at the sky. It was twilight, and the sun colored the clouds red. I turned my attention back to the path quickly, not wanting to see any more blood today.

* * *

><p>(Soul's POV)<p>

I awoke with the wind rushing past my face, making my eyes water even more so I shut them again. The feeling of the wind overtook me and brushed away my pain, leaving only a dull ache.

I heard someone grunt, and felt a slight rising and falling sensation before the jerk of hitting the ground and taking off again. So someone was carrying me . . .

My fingers twitched and shot up, grabbing another hand that wasn't mine. It felt like a paw. The silky fur rippled in the wind. "Luka," I breathed. Thank God.

"Hey kid," he greeted. "Finally awake, sleeping beauty?" I laughed weakly. "Not exactly."

He gave a non-committal shrug and kept running.

I reached up and wrapped my arms around his neck for a better grip and buried my face into his chest fur. My body trembled with silent sobs. I think he sighed.

* * *

><p>I'd fallen asleep again, because the next thing I knew, I was staring up into the face of a Mew. I blinked, sitting up and looking around quickly. I was sitting on a grassy flat land that ended a ways in front of me and there was a lot of Pokémon flying around everywhere . . . sorry, I've been through a lot so I can't think . . .<p>

"Ah!" the Mew greeted in delight. "You're awake!" I just blinked.

"Where are we?" I asked, my voice almost inaudible.

"The Tree of Beginning," Luka replied behind me. "One of the last safe havens for Pokémon anywhere."

"I still don't understand."

He chuckled. "I don't expect you to."

Mew flew back over and helped me stand. I nearly fell back though and Luka chuckled again. Something finally clicked. "So. Are we gonna stay here for a while?"

"That's the idea," Luka answered. I looked at Mew. "I don't mind," she reassured, grinning.

I glanced over to my right and saw a grassy ramp-like piece of land leading up. I thought for a bit. "I'm gonna explore!" I declared, running along it and going up. Looking back, I saw Luka following me. I laughed.

* * *

><p>After much climbing, I came out on the very top ledge. The wind was furious up here. The place was a grassy plateau that dropped suddenly a little ways ahead and bushes bordering the sides. Surprisingly, clouds were sparse, and I could see a castle in the distance. " . . . ?"<p>

"Cameron Palace," Luka explained from behind me. His proximity made me jump. How had he followed me so quietly?

"Do Pokémon live there too?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Humans," he corrected. I flinched, horror in my gaze. He looked over and frowned. "What is it?"

I shook my head to clear it. "I have a bad experience with humans," I murmured.

"Ah," he mused, not pressing the matter.

Weeks passed. Luka and I are training. Getting stronger. The Pokémon here are growing restless, just like us. Just how long are we gonna stay here like sitting ducks, waiting for something to happen?

**(! *SHOT*)**


	12. Raid and what?

"I can't take this anymore," I growled, panting from the sheer rate of attacks that had now stopped.

"What can't you take?" Luka asked.

It was the middle of one of our training sessions when I made the declaration. Nobody was around, because I had found a secret area in the Tree where Luka and I could exist privately. I was grateful for the solitude.

"I can't stand staying here and just letting Darkrai grow more powerful!" I snapped. "Why can't we just go and fight him now? We're strong enough!"

He sighed, probably knowing that he couldn't talk me out of it. ". . . fine. Tomorrow, we go to Arceus. All of our allies are gathered at his castle, waiting like us. We leave at dawn."

I nodded, eagerness surging through me. _Hurry up . . ._

* * *

><p>It was a restless night. After I'd wandered through the majority of the Tree, having no sleep come to me, I headed to my favorite place. But somehow, I took a wrong turn, and ended up in a wide cavern with thousands of small clusters of crystal. But what really caught my eye was the huge mass of crystal smack-dab in the center, glowing softly in the moonlight.<p>

Mew wasn't in sight, so I walked up to the crystal and poked it. It glowed softly at my touch, and I, in awe, watched it glow brighter. A thin shaft of light glimmered into sight, heading above the crystal and out into the sky, fading halfway up.

"_Hello," _a voice greeted softly. It seemed to originate from all around the cavern. I looked around, momentarily shocked, and then feeling it melt into confusion. "H-hi . . .?" I answered tentatively. The voice chuckled, and my gaze snapped back to the crystal. Was there someone trapped in it?

"You're just like a kid, Soul. Hold on."

_What? Hold on for what?_ But I realize when I take steps back and a hologram of the speaker projects itself in front of me. It's Arceus. The very Pokémon we were talking about today. I stared.

He chuckled again. "I've heard that you were coming to my palace tomorrow?" he asked. I nodded slowly. Even in the hologram, he was huge.

His gaze altered skyward, like so many I've seen. "Is Luka still alive?" he questions, and I'm taken aback. There's a complete turn in the conversation.

"Of course he is!" I half answer, half yell. Am I defending him? Seems that way. "He's been training me for the final battle!" The pallor on his face makes me even angrier. "What? You thought I was here alone?"

He smiled, and now it was my turn to be confused. _Wha . . .? _"That's good," was all he said. "Now then—there's someone who would like to talk to you."

The hologram fizzled out, and my mind reels the people who I know, ones who would voluntarily talk to me. No one sticks. So it's pleasing to see—finally!—the familiar face of a certain Chimchar. "Alyssa!" I greet at the level of a shout. "Soul!" she greets back at the same level. "Guess what? I was freed!"

I feel a huge grin spreading across my face. "Awesome! So howzit like in the castle?" I'm genuinely curious for once. "Amazing." Her voice has dropped in admiration. "It has everything, and when I say that, I swear I mean ev—"

Her voice cuts off in a shout and she slumps forward. I gasp and back up. A flash of black and red covers the hologram for a second and something fell over. My viewpoint from it cracked. It was leaning on its side. In the distance of the darkened room I take for a library, I saw the Zoroark and Primal Dialga—the latter in his mutant form—in a heated discussion that I couldn't hear but could tell Primal was really unhappy with. He growled lowly, but nodded and dashed away deeper into the library. The Zoroark went the opposite direction, crushing the hologram as he stepped on it. The viewpoint blackened and then shut off, and I was staring at the crystal again.

I was frozen for who knows how long—seconds? Minutes?—as I tried to make sense of what I just saw. Zoroark. Primal. In the castle. Probably others if I had to guess. From both sides. Why?

It dawns on me after a while, and my eyes widen in shock, despair, and the knowledge of it all. _No, _I think as I race down the stone paths and corridors. _No. _The word edges me on as I skid into the section of the tree where Luka and I live. _No, no, no! _He's up, meditating, his back facing me. I find a stone on the ground and chuck it at him with all my strength. It flies towards the back of his head at a pretty fast rate, if you ask me. But this is Luka, and he catches it right before it hits his head without even turning to me. "What are you doing awake?" he asks in such a calm manner I can't help but feel anger rising up inside me. Why am I like this? He doesn't know anything about it yet.

"We have to leave now!" I snarl. This breaks his composure and he looks back at me in surprise. "Darkrai's minions have led a raid on Arceus's castle!"

His eyes portray shock as he jumps up and sprints away. I follow, catching up, and jumping onto his back, holding tightly. I could never run as fast as him. Ever.

He ran out of the tree and back into the surrounding forest. The trees and plants are reduced to blurs as he rushed past. I tighten my grip on his shoulders.

"Hang on!" he yells over the wind. "I'm creating a shortcut!" I wrap my arms around his neck, slamming my eyes shut. The sensation of falling is thrust upon me and my eyes fly open.

The world was completely black, blue splotches and lines occasionally crossing through my vision. Wind rushed past my face and body, signifying that we were falling. I shut my eyes again and the force of gravity pulls me down and I slam onto a stone floor. Luka pulls me up, I open my eyes, and he spins me towards him.

"Find Arceus's forces and help them," he orders. "Don't fight someone you know you can't beat, and don't get caught!" I nod once and he lets go, sprinting away. I pivoted and ran in the opposite direction, through the various Pokémon that reduce into shadows as I pass by. Distractions? Most likely.

The walls are stained with blood—who's?—as I burst into a room that I recognize as the library. Fighting is intense here, and I freeze, trying to gather my bearings.

A familiar voice reaches my ears and I sprint in that direction. I see the figure of the Zoroark and tackle him, pinning him to the ground. "What—" he begins, but I cut him off with a stab to his arm. This is him. I know.

"This," I snarl, yanking my sword out of his arm and training it over his abdomen, "is for Nyra." I thrust it into his body and he screamed. It echoed off the walls, and I figured more of Darkrai's minions would be all over me in about five seconds, but I didn't care.

"And this is for Wave!" I yanked the sword upward and the metal sliced through his back and neck when I finally pulled it out. His scream cut off sharply as his eyes went glassy. I kicked his head in disgust and ran off deeper into the library.

Another scream entered my hearing range and I followed it at an ever-quickening pace. I rounded a bookshelf and there was Palkia, on her knees, wounded, head down, and tears streaming down her face. Primal was standing over her, his sword raised for the death blow. I slammed into him and it sent him crashing into a wall as I skidded to a halt in front of Palkia. She looked up at me in disbelief. "Soul?" she breathed. I nodded, looking over at her. "In the flesh, Pal. Was here and saw you in trouble. Jumped right in."

A tiny smile formed on her face, but I had my attention focused on Primal. He had stood and brushed himself off, grinning darkly. "Finally decided to show your face, huh?" he taunted. "Everyone said you were dead."

I curled my lip back in a snarl. "You make me sick."

He laughed, as if accepting it as a compliment. "Good for me then." His expression became serious and he held out his sword, tip pointing straight at me.

"You are in the way," was what he said. I held my sword across my chest, waiting for him to attack. But he didn't. His eyes flashed black and he called, "Clone!"

A shiny Mewtwo appeared in a flash of darkness right next to him, arms crossed and eyes glaring. I stepped back a bit, and Primal returned back to his cocky attitude. "You know you can't beat both of us," he observed, "but I'll let you try."

With that, he disappeared from my sight and somehow elbowed me in the side. I slid along the floor and readied an energy ball, teleporting beside him and firing it. He stumbled back a few steps. I was struck with an Iron Tail from behind and was sent skidding across the floor again, when Clone appeared in my peripheral vision. He roundhouse-kicked me on the side of my neck and I felt myself slam into a wall. I recovered quickly and aimed a drain punch to his face, but he sidestepped and punched me in the stomach. I coughed up blood, only having a second to register the metallic taste in my mouth before he grabbed me by my neck and threw me up into the air, firing a Flamethrower attack from his hands at me. I set up a protect barrier and it passed right around me as I fell lightly back to the floor, dashing up to him and sending an energy ball into the back of his skull. It sent him flying across the room and into a bookshelf. The books tumbled from their place and piled on top of him.

I whirled around, trying to find Primal. He was dashing towards me so fast that he was just a blur, and I jumped back, his sword tip grazing my front as he passed by. _He knows ExtremeSpeed? _My sword reformed in my hand and I gripped the handle tightly, teleporting in front of him and aiming a slash down his front. He caught the blade and grabbed me by the neck, throwing me into a wall. My sword slipped out of his fingers and I held it so tightly in mine that it hurt. I stood up quickly, but he teleported beside me and raked his claws down my side, tearing the skin. I screeched in pain, whirling around in a circle, attempting to slash his crystal thing in half, but he parried it with his own sword and twisted mine out of my hand. It dug into the floor behind me, in a patch of moonlight from a broken window. The cool night air washed over the room, but I wasn't aware of that. Primal teleported into the middle of the room and I raced towards him, but he landed a blow to my chest and stabbed me in the soft part of my shoulder. I screamed again and sank to my knees, my blood dripping from my wounds and forming a puddle underneath.

Primal kneeled down in front of me, lifting up my chin with one claw and forcing me to look directly into his eyes. "If only you had taken Master Darkrai's offer, most of this would have never happened." I growled, the realization threatening to make me cry. He sees this and smirks. "I think," he muses, "I'll let you suffer a bit more before I kill you . . ."

He stood and kicked me in the stomach, sending me up into the air again. Jumping up, he punched me in the side and the impact of it sent me flying into a wall. Someone from beside—Clone—grabbed me by the neck and lifted me into the air. He wasn't trying to suffocate me though, as he held me gently, and twisted me around. _"Look," _he spoke into my mind.

Primal was standing behind Palkia—whom I completely forgot about—one hand holding her arms behind her back and the other holding his sword point over her heart. "No!" I yelled. Palkia looked up to me, tears in her eyes, and she mouthed, "Forgive me," when the sword was embedded in her heart. Her eyes turned glassy and blood dribbled out of her mouth as she slumped to the floor.

* * *

><p>Soul screamed. Her eyes shifted into a pure black color and she twisted out of Clone's grip, teleporting behind Primal and tackling him away from Palkia's body. She pinned him to the ground, her sword appearing in her hand and stabbing him in the stomach with it. He screeched and kicked her off, standing up and clutching the wound. <em>I didn't even see that! How did she move so fast?<em>

Soul stood up in the moonlight. The skin of her body was a jet black and the leaves on her wrists and ankles turned steel. Her pupils were an icy blue, but the retina was pure black. The leaf on her head turned white and started floating like the wisp of a tiny flame. A grey cape formed around her neck and out, fluttering in the cold night air.

Primal smirked, his wound healing quickly as he looked at her. "Well . . ." he chuckled darkly. "I see that you were able to call upon my master's power. Impressive." His sword reformed in his hand and he held it out, across his chest. "But you must know, his power only extends to nightmares and darkness. Mine can go much farther than that."

His hands and sword started to glow with intermixed dark blue and bright red colors and he teleported beside Soul, aiming a slash down her side. She caught the blade and looked sideways at him. "There has been darkness and nightmares all throughout time, Primal," she pointed out, her voice layered but the tone deathly calm. "Don't forget that."

She twisted the sword out of Primal's hands and slashed him down the front. He grunted and she stabbed him in the side, and then yanked it out and roundhouse-kicked him into a wall.

Clone rushed for Soul, but she jumped up and stood on his shoulders, stabbing him in the left shoulder and pulling it down his arm. He let out a thick, guttural scream as she yanked it out, jumped off, stabbed him in the gut, and kicked him into a wall.

Primal growled loudly, teleporting in front of her and raking her claws down her torso. She screeched and dropped to the ground, swinging one leg out and hooking his out from underneath him. He fell backwards, catching himself and kicking her in the side. She bounced along the ground a few times before slamming into a bookcase. She snarled, sliding into the ground, disappearing from sight. Primal's eyes widened. _Where'd she go?_

Soul came up behind him and slashed the sword down his back. He twisted around, grabbing his sword back and aimed a grazing blow down her side, but she jumped back in time as her hands became covered in a pitch-black energy. The shadows all around the room rose up out of their places and shot towards Primal, entrapping him in chains that forced him to his knees. They dug into his skin, making the bleeding of his wounds speed up.

Soul walked away, recovered her sword, and walked back to Primal until she was standing right in front of him. "You can capture me, torture me, and kill my friends," she declared in the same even voice, "but you could never stop me." She raised her sword into the air, ready to bury it deep into his neck—

"Soul!" A voice called, and Luka, glowing gold, burst into the room, tackling her and pinning her to the ground. Her sword flew from her hand and slid across the floor, eventually disappearing in a wisp of black energy.

Soul stared up at Luka, struggling in his grip. "Why are you here, Luka?" she shouted in her normal voice. "I have to kill him!"

Luka placed one paw on her neck threateningly, and she froze. "Darkrai," he ordered in a low voice, "let go of your control on Soul. Now."

Soul chuckled, but it was Darkrai's voice coming from her mouth. It grew into laughter, ringing around the room. "No," he retorted darkly. "I have chosen her to lead me to victory, even if it means killing my own followers in the process." Her gaze flickered to Primal, who was still bounded by the chains. The hybrid merely snarled, to wounded to speak.

Luka's lips curled back in a snarl. "If I have to kill her to free her from your control, I will do so gladly."

Soul's eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!" Darkrai gasped. The aura sword appeared in Luka's paw and he held it over her heart. "You know I would do so without hesitation," he countered.

"YOU MUST NOT—" but her cry was cut off as Luka plunged the sword into her heart. She changed back into her original form as Darkrai was forced out of her body, whom in turn disappeared into the shadows. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and then shut tightly, her body going limp. The chains around Primal disappeared and he teleported away into the night.

* * *

><p>(Luka's POV)<p>

I stood up, my gaze sweeping around the library, and resting on Pal's lifeless body. _She's gone, _I think, walking over and kneeling beside it.

Something stirred in the corner of my eye and I twisted around, seeing a shiny Mewtwo slumped against a wall. His eyes were trained on me though, I think trying to decide whether I was friend or foe. With only a glance at his eyes, I shot several mini aura-bullets from my paw at him. The attack broke off, creating a net that forced him back against the wall and held him there no matter how hard he struggled.

Standing up again, I walked over and kneel down in front of him, becoming eye level. "Who are you?" I ask with an edge of suspicion in my voice. He just stares at me.

I growled, trying not to get angry. _Who are you? _I repeat in his head. This time, I get a response.

_Clone._

I blinked. _Are you mute?_

_Yes._

_Hmm . . . _I stand up again. His aura doesn't feel dark. And he didn't follow the others. My guess that he was corrupted. _Come with me._

Walking back over and picking up Pal's body, I held her gently as Clone picked up Soul. She's not dead, because I could feel energy radiating from her weakly. I give a nod and we walk out, headed down to Arceus's chamber.

* * *

><p><strong>WOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOO!1!111!1 *faceplant* Sorry the pov's were a little mixed up in this chapter . . . –w-" I had to switch to third person because (spoiler) soul doesn't remember anything when she taken over by the darkness (tus much? XD)! (spoiler end) So yeahz and stuffs . . . review plzzzz!<strong>

**:S:**


	13. Violets and Bubbles, Lakes and Enimies

I'm lost in a gauzy, violet-tinted world with no hard edges and many places to hide. I'm hiding right now. From that Zoroark—Zoro, I think his name was—and Primal. They are hunting me down, trying to kill me. Clone is my constant companion, but now he is out of my sight.

I can sense them. Crouching low, I push through the cloud banks and dash away as quietly as I can.

Running. Zoro's voice cuts through the air, but I can't make out what he's saying. I keep on until a sharp pain is cutting into my side and it feels like I can hardly breathe. I trip, lose my balance, and fall, expecting to crash into the ground. But I don't. I keep falling. Voices reach through the air. Familiar and unfamiliar. Only one sticks.

"_Will you come back?"_

The fall is slowed, and somehow I end up landing on my feet. Lightly. My eyes are tightly shut. The sound of splashing and the feel of mist surround me and, slowly, they open. A lake with mist rising off the surface. Several water types that I remember—Mud, a Mudkip; Whirlpool, a Dewott; Soren, a Milotic; Fury, a Garydos; Jell-o, a Frillish; Tsu, a Golduck; and Carp, a Magikarp—are all swimming in it. A thousand days from now, a million miles away, we all met.

I walk up to the edge of the lake and sit, feeling a pang of sorrow. Every one of these Pokémon were either killed or captured in my childhood.

Whirlpool climbed out of the lake and sat down next to me, smiling. "Hey Spring," he greeted. That's his nickname for me. We were all in this group we called team Sky. Soren was leader. I was the only grass-type, so they called me Spring. Whirlpool was the one I knew the most, and longest, so he was the one who invited me in. He easily convinced the others to let me join.

It's also a relief to not be called Soul.

I grinned. "Sup Whirl?" I replied. He countered, "The sky."

I laughed. "You win."

He grinned childishly, like he always did. "Long time no see! What's happenin'? You still livin' a loner life with your mom?"

I knew it was just a guess, but suddenly, I feel like crying. "Mom's dead," I whisper. His face turns somber. ". . . I'm sorry to hear that," he replies.

I nod once. "So why are you here?" I ask, trying to change the subject. He shrugged. "No one knows. Not even Soren, and that's just downright strange." He gestured to the lake. Tsu was giving orders to Carp, who was messing with Fury alongside Jell-o. Soren was relaxing in the waster, batting away Mud whenever he poked her. "Same old bored stuff?" I asked. "Same old bored stuff," he answers, and that brings a laugh from me again.

"So what's been going on with you?" he asked again. Why does he want to know so badly? But I told him everything, from when Mom died all the way up to Pal being killed. He listened intently, silent, frowning at some parts and nodding at others. When I had finished, he turned his gaze back to the others. I followed it.

_How can you all be here? _I thought. Fury's dead—I saw him get killed with my own eyes-; Mud's dead; Jell-o and Whirlpool were captured; Tsu, Soren, and Carp all disappeared. I was the last one left for a while, eventually forgetting about the team. Seeing them here, I wonder now what happened to those three.

Footsteps approached behind me, the pull of a bowstring, the clang of metal against metal, and a curse. They found me.

"Move!" I shouted, tackling Whirlpool so we landed away from the line of fire. The arrow whooshed through the air and shot Fang in the side of the head. He collapsed into the water, sinking to the bottom. Streams of blood floated up to the surface. He's dead again.

I detected a flash of energy and it again behind me. I grabbed Whirlpool's hand and pulled him up, away from the two. I let go and turned back, tackling Zoro. "Run Whirl!" I yelled.

Zoro struggled in my grip and I snarled in his face. How sweet it would be to kill him again. I grabbed one of his arrows and prepared to stab him in the heart, but he kicked me off and Primal caught me, holding onto my shoulders and forcing me onto my knees, sliding the arrow out of my hand and holding it teasingly over my neck.

Looking up, I saw Whirlpool tackle Zoro and slam a rock into his head. You could hear the crack as his skull broke. He disappeared in a wisp of smoke and Whirlpool stood up, freezing when he saw my plight.

"Stop," the hybrid ordered icily, "or she dies." He dug the arrow slightly into my neck for clarification. I didn't dare move.

Whirlpool grit his teeth, And I could see a hydro pump attack being charged up in his hands. Primal probably noticed also, because he pushed the arrow in a little further. Black spots swam before my eyes and I felt about ready to faint. "Would you really throw away her life to fight me?"

_Do it, _I mouthed. Whirlpool snarled. "Yes, because you're the one who destroyed our team!"

The last thing I heard was the hydro pump being fired before the world slipped away.

* * *

><p>Blinking open my eyes, I was surprised to see I was still in the violet world.<p>

I attempted to straighten up when someone put a hand on my chest and forced me back down gently. "Stay," a voice commanded. "You shouldn't stress yourself."

I stilled. "Clone?" I asked.

"Yes. I saw the whole thing."

This time, I sat up fully and looked around. He had his arms wrapped around my torso protectively. His eyes were alight and fierce. We were in a transparent bubble of sorts, and several more floated around us, all containing Pokémon I could not recognize. I caught the eye of an inquisitive-looking Shinx though, and immediately turned away.

Bad idea. The one I turned to look into contained Whirlpool, lying on his back, eyes closed and body stilled. A long gash ran up his torso and his blood spilled over the side of his body, forming an ever-growing pool of blood around him. A small white wisp of—light? Fire?—hovered right above his open mouth, bobbing up and down. My breath caught in my throat.

"He's not dead," Clone assured mildly. "Primal beat him up badly during the raid though."

A bell rang in my head and I turned sharply to face him. "What happened right after Primal killed Pal?" I demanded. He looked at me with those emerald-green eyes and I flinched. "It will be explained by Luka when you wake," he responded. I blinked stupidly. "Wake?" I repeated. He nodded once.

His hand rested on the spot over my heart and I cringed. "What are you—" I was cut off by a searing pain over that spot and a spurt of blood mimicked it as I fell forward, passing out.

* * *

><p><strong>YAYZ ITZ DONEZ!11!111111!1 I like z's. XD ANYWAY! This one and the next one was originally one chapter, but I split them into two because they made no sense together. So please review! (THAT INCLUDES YOU TOO FROSTING!) Plus, I may be putting together a poll for favorite crushes in here . . . polls are at the top of my profile btw! =D<strong>

**:S:**


	14. Again, What?

The first thing I registered when I finally opened my eyes was _white. _The total absence of color filled my vision and I resisted the temptation to shut them again.

When I got used to the brightness, a ceiling and walls entered my line of sight, and the sound of a pen on paper filled my ears. Where was I?

Turning my head slightly to the right, there was a deep blue curtain expanding the length of the room. To my left, a small window embedded in the wall. It had the view of a cherry tree in it, filled with the fruit. Vaguely, I wondered what they tasted like.

The scribbling stopped and the curtain pulled back to reveal a little shinx. "Are you Soul?" she asked.

I nodded, sitting up. Something connected in my head and I realized I was in a hospital bed. A machine with a bunch of cords attached and a bag hanging from it was on my right, beside the headboard.

The shinx padded over and jumped onto the bed, looking me in the eye. "I'm Shock," she introduced. "Alyssa told me to check on you."

I blinked. "Why?"

Shock shook her head. "She never said."

I thought. "Do you know where I am?"

She nodded. "The hospital wing," was her reply. "During the raid, you were beat up pretty badly. The most, in fact. Arceus even had to fight Darkrai a bit, and he was one of the least wounded." That didn't surprise me. If they were equally matched, it would make sense that neither was hurt badly.

The curtain opened again and a chansey walked in. She (?) was wearing a nurse cap like the ones in Pokémon centers wear. A nurse?

Shock jumped off the bed and scampered away, probably not supposed to be here. The chansey looked at me. "Hello," she greeted. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," I replied. Really, I did feel fine. Why shouldn't I?

She nodded once. I tried to get up, but she shook her head. "You should stay in bed for a little longer. You shouldn't irritate your wounds."

I was puzzled when she left. Seriously, I didn't feel and pain. So why was I supposed to stay?

I twisted around and stared at the window. After a couple seconds of silence, I slipped out the bed and opened it. A cool autumn breeze rushed in and wind chimes filled my ears. Checking to make sure no one was looking, I climbed out and found myself in a garden-like area. Flowers were spread out around in a meadow style and the cherry tree stood right in the middle. I walked over slowly and scaled it in seconds, deftly picking a cherry and nibbling on it. The flavor spread across my mouth like a popped water balloon. I smiled in delight and popped the rest of it in, feeling great.

The soft wind blew through the tree limbs like a mouse in a maze, only to find me lounging against a sturdy branch; a dead-end of sorts. Sometimes it seemed to howl at me, yelling at me to move, but I only sat there, refusing to budge.

I felt so at peace, the sound of a voice startled me so I almost fell out of the tree.

"You aren't allowed out of the hospital yet."

I twisted around quickly to see a Golduck with several scars and abnormally long claws staring up at me from below. The voice was harsh, but still utterly recognizable. His blackberry-colored eyes bore into my liquid amber ones and many different thoughts were being exchanged between ourselves in a mental conversation of some kind a while before I spoke.

"Tsu." The name came out as a whisper, almost instantly snatched up and carried away by the wind. I willed it to get louder. "Never thought I'd see you here."

Tsu cocked his head. "Same. But still—you really shouldn't be out here. You could hurt yourself again."

I rolled my eyes, but still felt a small smile plastered onto my face. "Yeah yeah. But I won't get hurt just by falling out of a tree."

He narrowed his eyes, and I lost sight of him before I felt his claws pressed loosely over my neck. I didn't dare move. "But what if someone tries to attack you?" he asked in a low, seductive voice. I grabbed his hand and yanked it away, twisting around and jumping up higher into the tree, my sword appearing in my hand as I glared down at him. "Then I'm ready," I answered, tightening my grip on the hilt. He chuckled. "Your reaction time was fairly slow. Anyone will have time to slit your throat if you keep moving at that speed."

It was an insult—thinly veiled as a battle tip nonetheless—but I couldn't help it. I laughed. The sheer sight of Tsu here on the castle estate, and more importantly, safe, made me giddy and happy. He blinked, staring up at me with an expression that said _are you mad, woman?_

When I finally fell silent, breathless, he said, "I bet you want to know what's going on."

And _click! _went my brain. "Where's Luka?" I asked, genuinely curious. Tsu turned away and jumped out of the tree. "Stay there," commanded he. "I'll go get him."

He dashed away into the castle. I lounged back on the branch I was currently sitting on, my sword vanishing from my hand for later use, plucking another cherry from the tree and popping it into my mouth.

Waiting; as one waits for a party to start—as one waits for something to happen.

Spitting the seed out into my palm, I flung it over my shoulder and turned my head at the sound of approaching footsteps.

Coming round a corner with his head down, Tsu following behind. The blue parts of his fur were ruffled, the blackness neatly blending in. A scar cut through the top of his right forehead, extending up and over his head and I think down his back, eliminating the fur along the jagged line. He seemed troubled; his ears were pricked and alert to the slightest sound. No matter how he looked, he was still the same to me.

"Luka!" I cried, jumping off the tree and throwing myself into his arms. His blood red eyes widened in surprised, but then he embraced me after a pause. "Hey kid," he greeted, his voice sounding sad. "I was afraid you were dead."

I laughed at how foolish that sounded. "Me? Dead? I feel fully alive! How could I have been dead?"

He rolled his eyes, but I could tell he was relieved.

I heard receding footsteps. Tsu must be walking away. I kinda don't blame him.

Grabbing Luka's paw, I dragged him over to the tree and sat down behind it, facing away from the castle and staring off into the setting sun and the forest away from us. Luka sat down next to me, his gaze locked on the horizon.

I got right to the point. "What happened after Primal killed Pal?" I questioned. He didn't look at me when he spoke. "I do not know. All I know is that I came in and you were standing over him, your sword raised over your head like you were about to kill him. Your appearance was different too."

He described it. I listened intently, drinking in every word.

He finished with the event of Darkrai speaking through me, and him stabbing me to force him out. I felt my fingers make their way to my heart in the silence. Heavy wrappings of gauze covered the spot where I inferred the wound was to be. I looked up at him and saw blood-soaked wrappings around his neck like a form-fitting scarf.

Something surfaced in my mind. A memory of last night. I almost forgot. "I broke your second rule," I admitted. "I fought Primal."

Luka dismissed this with a wave of his paw. "I fought Darkrai. So we're pretty equal." I giggled quietly.

Yet another thing clicked. "Clone told me that you fought with Whirlpool. Against Primal. Mind explaining that too?"

He absently touched the scar on his forehead. I saw it did extend down his back. "When we split up, I went down a hallway and had a run-in with the hybrid. He had pinned down a Dewott and was about to kill him from what I saw." I covered my mouth with my hands to avoid a gasp. "I threw him off, and when he saw me, he fled, but not without calling in Darkrai.

"And yes, a fierce battle ensued. I couldn't tell much, but I could see he was getting weaker during the fight.

"Suddenly, your scream tore through the air. Darkrai slipped into the shadows that exact moment, disappearing from sight. I tried making my way towards you, but was repeatedly stopped. Eventually, I reached you and all that leads back to my earlier explanation." I uncovered my mouth to say something, but he cut me off with "That's all I know."

I placed my hands at my sides, leaning against the trunk of the tree and staring out at the sunset, wondering what had happened to Whirly. Is he safe? Somewhere in the castle? In the hospital wing probably? Hopefully . . .

* * *

><p><strong>FINALLY!11111!one!11111! *dies*<strong>


	15. Slipping

As I lay in my hospital bed, my eyes stared at the darkened white-washed ceiling as if I could see the stars. What happened to Whirlpool? I think I can confirm that he's here, but is he alive? That he is and if he's okay would exceed my wildest hopes.

I shut my wandering eyes and tried to go to sleep, but it wouldn't come. A few minutes of this and I got up, sneaking out the window again and landing in the garden. Closing the window from outside, I stepped back and stared up at the castle. It was an imposing sight. The stone figure was old and crumbling, covered in vines that twisted their way in and out of the rock face. Even though in disrepair, it still retained the gallant aura off of it from what I believed it once looked like.

Turning my attention to the sky, I felt disappointed. The clouds turned the sky grey and obscured the stars.

_So much for stargazing, _I thought sadly.

Suddenly, something tackled me and pinned me down, leaving me with my head against the ground. A clawed hand clamped over my mouth before I had a chance to call for help.

A conversation took place. It was muffled, but I heard only two voices. My captor and a helper, I think. Closing my eyes, I traced the energy signature of the two.

My eyes shot open and I yanked the hand off my mouth. "Darkrai, whatever it is you're planning, it isn't gonna work," I snarled through clenched teeth. Darkrai chuckled. "If you could count how many times people say that to me, you would be surprised," he told me.

"Go screw yourself," I spat.

The clawed hand—Primal's hand—smacked back over my mouth, stopping me from saying anything else. "Let's get this over with," he growled, most likely at Darkrai.

I could feel the nightmare Pokémon's hands brush against my back, and a jolt of darkness was sent through my body, making me shudder once. I suddenly realized what he was doing and started flailing wildly, but to no avail. I stopped when I heard his voice whisper into my ear:

"After all this time, I will finally have you. And the world will be _mine._"

My vision went black, and I could just barely feel myself slipping until—

* * *

><p>(Primal's POV)<p>

I stood when Soul went limp, letting go of her, and stepped back to let Darkrai do his work.

That girl . . . she is very stubborn.

But if we have her, they die. If they have her, we die. I don't know the limits of her power. But I do know that much.

Darkrai finally finished and stepped beside to look over her. Her image had changed. The black skin, steel leaves, and black eyes were guaranteed, of course, but spikes had grown out of the back of her head also. Metal wings snapped out of her back, and on the front of her forehead, there was a small yellow crystal in the shape of a diamond, surrounded by three smaller circles.

I wanted to slap Darkrai for all he was worth right now.

"You brought back Palkia," I growled lowly, turning to look at him. He looked at me over his shoulder with annoyed, half-closed eyes. "Only the appearance," he informed. "Inside, it's just her. Or how we want her to be."

"What about me?" I jumped slightly and looked back at Soul. I hadn't heard her get up. The white slit pupil of her eye was an ice blue. She repeated her question.

"Nothing," I replied, crossing my arms and looking away. I really don't trust this girl.  
>Darkrai made no comment.<p>

"Good. Let's leave." She looked back pointedly at the castle. "I really don't want to be near this place.

I nodded once, walking back the way we came without comment. I heard Soul trailing somewhere behind, and Darkrai not at all. I wonder if he feels the same as me.

* * *

><p><strong>WAAAAAAAAAH! *faceplants* Sorry this took so long to come out! shot\**


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